Soutou
by Matsuo Emi
Summary: Sequel to “Shinri” Even with the companionship of her trusted canine, Sakura is finding the life of a missing-nin unforgiving, until a chance encounter with a feared enemy offers her the opportunity to discover help in the most unlikely of places. ItaSaku
1. In Search of Paper

**Soutou "Struggle"**

* * *

A/N: Welcome to part two of my trilogy! If you are a new reader, I highly recommend you check out my profile and read part one, entitled "Shinri" , so you won't be lost. For my veteran readers, this is the part where stuff starts getting super fun. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One: In Search of Paper**

**Struggle - to contend resolutely with a task or problem, strive.**

* * *

It was raining, again. The day after Sakura and Kattan had left the battle grounds that had been their temporary camp in search of a village, the cloud filled sky had finally cracked open and deposited a constant deluge on the dry earth. In Fire County as far south as they were, there was no winter, only a rainy season, and the fact that it had been raining nonstop for nearly a week told Sakura that they were caught in the beginning of it.

Sakura's rain cloak had proved invaluable after all, as had the supplies they had scavenged from the destroyed camp. Unfortunately, after a week of travel and no sign of civilization, the pair's food was running low, even as Sakura supplemented their diet with her knowledge of edible plants. Combined, Sakura's demanding chakra and Kattan's growing puppy belly had gone through as much food as would have taken normal travelers twice their size twice as long to eat.

Sakura scanned the sky, and quickly realized that the storm meant to worsen, and she signaled to Kattan that they needed to find shelter quickly. The intelligent little puppy understood even the most cryptic of Sakura's instructions, and immediately picked up the pace. It was odd, Sakura realized, how quickly they had formed a bond of trust and already were able to communicate to each other as if they had been together for years. Sakura credited the trust to the nature of their first meeting, and the fact that they had both risked their own lives to save the other. How well they communicated, however, was still a bit of a miracle to her.

It didn't take long for the pair to locate a shallow cavern in the rocky landscape, just in time for the rain to increase to waterfall force. They slipped inside, pleased to find it otherwise uninhabited and hunkered down together for warmth. Kattan was soaked to the bone, her soft downy fur hanging limply from her shivering frame. She snuggled down in the rain coat against Sakura's leg, and after a few minutes had warmed up enough to fall asleep. Sakura giggled to herself at Kattan's soft puppy snores and squeaks as she dreamed. To occupy herself, Sakura stared into the curtain of rain at the mouth of their little shelter.

She could tell from the landscape that they were nearing the western coast because of the thinning forests. The nearby coastline was rocky and predominantly sheer cliffs, making the likelihood of finding a seaside fishing village low. As they traveled east along the coast, however, the cliffs would taper off to the marshes and sandy expanses of the beaches near Tea Country. That would be the most likely area to find a fishing village, but it was still at least a few days away. Sakura wasn't sure they had a few days, especially as the edible vegetation became sparser. Without enough food, Sakura wouldn't be able to keep up her chakra reserves.

She didn't just need chakra for traveling. Most of the chakra she recovered went straight into healing her old wounds and scars. It had taken some effort, but her injuries had already faded to minor scars. Even her worst wound, her right foot, had healed, and Sakura had managed to grow most of her missing flesh back as well, using her left foot as a template for what her right foot should look like.

The theory for the medical jutsu that could re-grow missing parts had actually been developed by Shizune, but neither she nor Sakura had many opportunities to test the jutsu, since few patients had come into the hospital missing chunks of flesh or entire limbs.

Few patients who needed it wanted the procedure done though, because it was incredibly painful. It required using chakra to injure the body so the medic could more correctly guide the healing process that would have otherwise healed deformed. It was tedious and tiring work, especially if the wound was old. Sakura had used the jutsu on herself every few days because every bit of healing made it easier to walk, so it was worth the chakra and pain.

Lately though, she had been saving her energy, instead of using it almost immediately on medical jutsu, and her chakra was fully recovered as far as she could tell. It was empowering, but it wouldn't last long if she wasn't careful with her food supply.

Unable to do anything to improve their situation at the moment, Sakura resigned herself to her education. She hadn't given up on the scrolls, even if they had been taken. She daily, at every opportune moment, recited the contents of Miharu's scrolls to herself to assure that she didn't forget the jutsu. After several repetitions of the information, Sakura was satisfied that she remembered everything, and pulled out Lee's book to read.

In the last few days she had found the time to read it, and had since reread the chapter on the first gate, and read the information about the second gate. She figured that it wouldn't hurt to try to learn to open the third gate, especially since her strength had largely returned to her.

Sakura flipped through the pages of Lee's book and began to read.

_The third chakra gate, the Gate of Life, or __Seimon,__ is located near the top of the spinal cord. The attribute it increases is the response time of your nervous system. Because of the added strain and the response of the sympathetic nervous system, blood flow is increased, and the skin turns red. This is the last gate I can open, but opening more is very possible, as Gai-sensei is capable of it. The first two gates only cause slight damage, and you should still be able to walk or even fight after closing the gates. The third gate, however, does a disproportionate amount of damage to the body, rendering you almost immobile after closing it. Because it affects the nervous system, it also causes great pain while the gate is open, making it a very difficult gate to master._

The white noise in the background faded slightly, and Sakura looked up in curiosity. Just as she suspected, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. It was still daylight, and she decided to risk more rain in the hope of stumbling upon a village or at least better shelter before nightfall.

She gently shook Kattan awake. The little wolf yawned and scooted out from under the cloak. She cocked her head at Sakura, who was tucking her book away, then shook herself awake. She pranced out of the cave and into the woods without any instruction from her human companion. Dusting off her cloak and bags, Sakura smiled as she followed Kattan back into the rain.

* * *

Night was approaching rapidly with the help of the cloud choked sky, but Sakura and Kattan had yet to find a suitable camp site. The landscape had changed dramatically in the space of a few hours, and now all of the large trees had been replaced by thorny shrubs and massive boulders. Sakura couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her, but she was certain that she would have been able to see the coast had it been daylight. The soft moisture soaked breeze carried the tangy smell of salt water as it blew across the landscape from the south.

Sakura noticed Kattan pause and sniff the air suddenly. Something had caught her interest. Sure enough, when the breeze shifted slightly to the west, Sakura could smell something new. Smoke, cut wood, and tilled earth. The smells of a village. Sakura glanced excitedly down at Kattan and the wolf yelped back in joy.

The pair set off running haphazardly in the darkness to the east, both occasionally slipping on the wet stony ground, but both too excited to care. A village! Sakura had never thought she could be so happy over something so simple as a bed to sleep in and food to eat. It was ridiculous.

Ahead of them, orange glowing lights began to pierce through the darkness, and slowly the silhouette of the village began to appear against the dark sky. It was a tiny coastal town, one that likely rarely received visitors, but it would do. The structures were all wooden, with the occasional bit of smooth cobble stone for chimneys and walkways. Everything was painted a cool soothing shade of blue or white, though time and the elements had worn most of it away. It was a peaceful little town, which suited Sakura perfectly.

The cobbled streets were mostly empty by the time Kattan and Sakura reached them, but there was still some activity around the Inn. About a dozen people had gathered, and were straining to look inside the bar at the lower level of the building, as if they were vying for the chance to catch a glance of a celebrity. Sakura could care less about that sort of thing, so she and Kattan continued into the old but well kept looking building. The pair pushed themselves past the small crowd at the entrance and ventured up to the front desk.

An old woman greeted Sakura cheerfully, "Good evening sweetie, are you here for a room?"

"Yes, please," Sakura answered politely. The Inn keeper flipped through the room record and a bit of worry danced suddenly across her smile creased features.

"Is everything okay?" Sakura inquired.

"Oh, yes. Yes, dear. It's just," the woman paused as if considering her words carefully, "There's only one room left, and the bathrooms are communal for each floor. On that floor, two gentlemen are staying."

Sakura waved off her concern, "Oh, that's alright! Really, I don't mind. I'd sleep on the roof if you let me, at this point."

The woman laughed a little, and took in Sakura's haggard, road weary appearance before nodding and retrieving the key, "Alright, here's your key. Up those stairs and yours is on the right."

"How much do I owe you?" Sakura began to rummage through the small pouch of money she had stolen from the dead bandits.

"No, no, don't worry sweetie. It's on the house, you just rest up now, you hear?" the woman gave Sakura a warm motherly smile before returning to her work in an adjacent room.

Flattered, and eternally grateful, Sakura and Kattan bounded up the stairs and into their new room. It was a humble, but excessively clean little place. There was not just a bed with fresh white linens, but also a rustic looking desk and a small dresser for Sakura's things. The bathroom, as the Innkeeper had noted, was outside at the end of the hall, and much to Sakura's delight, unoccupied.

In fact, the entire floor seemed empty of any chakra signatures, meaning that Sakura's new floor mates were likely out for the evening. It certainly helped her feel more comfortable as she peeled off her dirty and blood stained clothes and slipped into the white cast iron bath tub.

The hot water was infinitely soothing, but Sakura was looking forward too much to the bed to languish in the hot water for too long. She shampooed and straightened out her long pink hair, twice for good measure, and then quickly plopped Kattan into the water next to her and gave the dirty looking brown-black pup a good scrubbing as well. Kattan grunted and groaned in protest, and as soon as Sakura let her loose on the bathroom floor, she shook herself vigorously and shot like a soggy black bullet back into the bedroom.

Sakura finished her routine by brushing her hair and teeth, and with one of the provided snuggly white robes wrapped around herself, she strolled casually back to the bedroom for the best nights sleep she could remember having.

* * *

The muted grey sunlight seeping through the lacy white curtains told Sakura that, while it was morning, it was also still raining. It was a weather pattern Sakura would have to get used to it seemed. But it wasn't the dull sunlight that had woke her. Suddenly, from the hallway, she heard again the sound that had disturbed her sleep. The Innkeeper was talking to someone, a man. His voice was deep, calm and polite, but there was something about his aura that made Sakura realize that he was angry about something. The Innkeeper was trying to placate him.

"I'm sorry sir, but there was only that room available, and she's just a little civilian girl, and she'll probably leave before tonight."

"Still, I am disappointed that my request for a private floor went unheeded."

"I can refund you your money…"

There was a long pause, and Sakura could feel the aura of the man reaching into her room. He was searching for her chakra, which could only mean that he was a Shinobi. Sakura quickly feigned sleep and suppressed her chakra. After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied, and Sakura felt his aura begin to walk towards the stairs. She heard him respond to the Innkeeper, his anger completely forgotten.

"That won't be necessary."

Once the bewildered Innkeeper had left as well, Sakura hopped out of bed and began to pack her things. There was no sense in staying and causing trouble for the old woman. She gently roused Kattan from sleep. The little wolf yawned and watched Sakura pack for a little while before jumping down from her spot at the foot of the bed.

"Sorry, Ka-chan, but we have to get going. We need to find paper, I'm going to buy some fresh clothes and food, and then we have to get going again," Sakura folded her last set of clean clothes and stuffed them back into her pack.

The clothes she had been wearing when she arrived were unsalvageable, and they were ugly, so she had thrown them out. Not that the baggy civilian men's clothes she was wearing now were any prettier, but at least they were clean. She tightened the waist rope around the pants until the fabric was so bunched up that it looked like she was wearing a burlap sack. The sleeves of the off-white shirt were almost six inches too long, so she rolled them up to her elbows to keep them out of the way. She pulled out a rolled up bandana and tucked her hair back with it, so the rain wouldn't make it stick to her face or obstruct her vision. Sakura's younger self would have been ashamed of her current appearance, but there was no one here to impress, and everything simply came down to survival.

"It's not safe," Sakura continued as she tossed on her rain cloak and shouldered her bags, "to stay in one place for too long, especially when there are other Shinobi around."

Kattan seemed to agree or at least understand, and she followed Sakura out of the cozy Inn without complaint.

* * *

It was noon before Sakura gave up. She and Kattan had been looking for paper all day, and no one seemed to have any. It was a luxury, it seemed, that most parts of the world simply went without. The few people that knew anything told Sakura that sometimes merchants bring some paper or scrolls to sell, but it's always expensive, and no one had been by to sell any in months.

Sakura had instead managed to find some clothes in her size that she liked, but she didn't put them on, since the rain would just ruin them. They were civilian clothes, and not cut out for the potentially rough life of a Shinobi, but they were something other than ugly men's clothes, so Sakura had been willing to spend a sizable chunk of her stolen money on them.

She also refilled their rations, almost for free, since the vendor had taken pity on Sakura. It seemed to happen a lot, and Sakura wondered if the people of the town were just that nice, or if she looked just _that_ pathetic. Maybe it was both.

The only place that they hadn't visited yet was a small but bustling tea house on the edge of town. When Sakura approached, hoping to buy something to warm herself up before hitting the cold damp road, she noticed a crowd similar to the one that had been gathered around the bar when Sakura had first arrived in town.

She peeked inside with her chakra, and found, not so surprisingly, the chakra that belonged to the man from the Inn and another huge chakra that made Sakura's skin crawl a little. They must have been someone important if they had not only requested a private floor, but also drew crowds wherever they went. Part of her wanted to avoid the area completely, just in case the men were trouble, but part of her was just as curious as the townspeople, and besides, she had wanted to buy some tea.

"Come on Ka-chan," she motioned in the direction of the tea house, "We'll just order from the front, and we'll be fast, so no worries."

As she pushed herself past the crowd towards the front of the shop she caught pieces of their conversations.

"… mercenaries?"

"… powerful Shinobi…"

"Wow, look at that weapon!"

"… don't get visitors like that often…"

Sakura reached the small bar area at the front of the tea house and addressed the waitress. The young woman seemed lost in staring at the odd visitors around the corner of the bar, out of Sakura's sight.

"Excuse me," Sakura waved as the girl startled and turned around.

"Oh, gosh! Sorry! What can I get for you," she straightened her apron and took Sakura's order.

"Just a two green teas, one with just a pinch of sugar, and the other, "Sakura pointed at Kattan, who had managed to scramble up onto one of the low stools and was wagging her butt happily at the waitress, "half whole cream and no sugar."

The waitress reached out, patted Kattan cheerfully, and cooed, "Coming right up!"

The next minute, she was back, and Sakura sat calmly sipping her hot tea while Kattan eagerly lapped up her warm milk tea from a shallow bowl on the bar. The crowd was beginning to get bored of gawking, and many had gone back to their lives, giving Sakura the opportunity to peek around the bar at the men. She took Kattan's empty bowl and, pretending to be looking for the waitress, she rounded the corner. What she saw made her nearly drop the bowl in shock.

The girl was timidly waiting on two men sitting across from each other at a long wooden table. Two men, wearing black cloaks with red clouds. Akatsuki.

One of the men, the one with the scary chakra and equally scary sword, was huge. Both wore straw hats with white cloth strips which concealed their faces from anyone who wasn't at eye level. Sakura had never seen any member of Akatsuki in person, but based on what she knew, she was inclined to avoid them.

"Oh! Sorry! Can I get you something else?" the young waitress addressed Sakura, to her horror, but the two S-class Shinobi didn't seem to notice. Sakura fought for composure and willed her voice to speak as if she had no idea who the two men were.

"Ka-chan would like a refill," she held out the empty bowl, "and then, just the check."

She seemed to have fooled the enemy Shinobi sufficiently, since both seemed engrossed in their food still. Well, the big one was engrossed in his food, the other, was…

Sakura held back a squeal of excitement. The other was writing something down, on _paper_.

"_Paper, **paper**. He has paper. __**He**__ has paper._" Sakura wanted so badly for the men to suddenly become someone else, so she could walk over and ask for some paper. No, no, there was no way. She would look for paper at the next town.

"_The next town, where paper is a luxury, which no one has?_"

The waitress walked over, took the empty bowl from Sakura, and returned to the front bar. Sakura didn't turn to follow her. If she didn't find paper soon, she would start forgetting parts of the jutsu, and her opportunity to help her precious people would be lost forever. There was no time to be a coward, her mother, her friends, her village deserved better.

"_They have no idea who I am, they have no reason to do anything to me, they haven't hurt any villagers…yet. If I offer money, maybe he'll sell me some. Gods, what am I doing_?"

Sakura straightened her ugly baggy clothes, suddenly very aware of and slightly embarrassed by her appearance.

Calmly, nonchalantly, as casually as she could muster, she strolled over to the men, pointed, and exclaimed as if she had just noticed it, "Oh! Paper! I've been looking for some!"

Both Shinobi turned to give the new girl standing, by all appearances, fearlessly at the end of their table their full attention. The dim light of the tea house kept their faces shrouded in shadow, which she was secretly grateful for. Sakura turned slightly to her right to address the smaller man directly and kept talking as if chatting with a long lost friend.

"I would be eternally grateful if you would be able to spare some, even just a little…" she trailed off as the Akatsuki set down the pen he was holding and reached into the pack at his side. He pulled out three empty scrolls, the only ones he had, and a pen, and set them on the edge of the table directly in front of Sakura.

Sakura reached out and slowly took the items from the table and tucked them inside her own bag. She beamed happily, though inside she was confused as hell, "_Is it really that easy?_"

"Thank you… uh, how much do you want-"

"Sit."

Sakura jumped visibly at the sudden sound. His voice was soft and calm, but it had a layer of power that made Sakura realize that his word wasn't a request, but a command. The larger man cocked his head slightly in confusion at the man across from him, but he remained silent.

"I…uh," Sakura pointed towards the exit, "I have to-"

"Sit."

His tone was firmer the second time, and Sakura could see that continued refusal would be a bad idea. The man slowly moved his bag from the bench, making room for Sakura to sit next to him, and, hoping to avoid making a scene that could endanger the villagers, she finally complied with the order.

As Sakura took her seat, uncomfortably close to the dangerous S-class criminal, he smoothly pulled a plate of dango in front of her, as if offering her some of the food. More interested in preserving the peace than her own dignity or pride, she picked up a stick of the sweet dumplings.

"Oh, thank you," she ate slowly and carefully. The possibility that the food was poisoned had crossed her mind as the Akatsuki reached out for the tea pot and poured her a hot cup of oolong.

"_I can metabolize most common poison_," she reassured herself as she slowly took a tiny sip of the tea. Her senses hadn't revealed any additives to the food, and after a few minutes of silence, Sakura realized that the food was untainted.

"_What is he doing? Why is he insisting that I sit here and eat his food and drink his tea?_"

The waitress was obviously equally perplexed when she came back over to attend to her lingering guests.

"Just keep the tea and dango coming," the larger man sighed into his cold tea, obviously exasperated and bored.

"And your guest…?" the waitress gestured towards Sakura.

"Hime-chan is having what we're having," the man snorted mockingly.

The waitress's eyes grew large in shock. Worried that she had taken him literally, Sakura hurriedly shrugged and mouthed across the table at her, "I'm _not _a princess!"

Puzzled, the poor waitress turned to retrieve yet another order of tea and dango.

Sakura was becoming impatient with the odd and unexplained behavior of the Akatsuki men, so she hurriedly made an attempt to leave. Before she could finish standing, however, the smaller man to her right reached up and gently restrained her by her forearm. She could have easily pried herself free, but his action was accompanied by another command.

"Sit." The tone was impressively subtle, but he was starting to sound a little irritated.

"_That makes two of us buddy_," Sakura wanted to yank herself free and slap him across the face, but she simply defied him and stayed standing.

It had occurred to her earlier that a repeat incident like what had happened with the bandit and the mercenary was likely in this situation, since the two criminal Shinobi had no other reason to be interested in a poor disheveled looking pink haired little civilian girl. It was a scenario that Sakura was determined to avoid. She would fight her way out of it or die trying if she had to. Unfortuantely, neither man had made any indication whatsoever for the reason for her continued presence, and Sakura was unsure that starting a fight was the best idea yet.

After a few minutes of tense silence the man spoke again, his voice carrying an almost undetectable dangerous edge to it that made Sakura want to rip out of his grip and run.

But _what_ he said had her rooted to the spot in sheer terror.

"Sit. _Sakura._"

"_No, no, he __**knows**__ my __**name**_!" numb with shock, she allowed herself to be pulled back down to the bench. Her heart felt like it was doing back flips as she struggled for composure.

She wracked her brain for any way he could have heard her name, something logical, something not connected to Konoha. Did he recognize her from the Inn? The Inn registry kept guest names, but she hadn't paid, so she didn't have to sign her name. Did she tell her name to anyone in town? No, she wasn't stupid enough to leave a calling card like that. Then when? How?

Sakura had miraculously managed to keep a calm exterior in spite of her growing fear, and in a feat of utter daring, she chanced a curious glance up at the face of her demanding host. The glance instantly became a staring contest as her horrified green eyes made contact with the unmistakable swirling red Sharingan of Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

A/N: Oohh, creepy, what's he thinking? We'll have to wait and see next chapter! This part is slated to be only ten chapters, but they'll be longer and more will happen in each one. This chapter is actually a little short. But that means it will take me a little longer to update. Next, I'll be working on 'Hesitation' before the next chapter of this story, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for all of the feed back on part one, and thanks in advance for letting me know what you think of 'Soutou'!

* * *


	2. Clobbered

**Soutou "Struggle"**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Clobbered**

**Struggle - the process of, or an act of, or instance of struggling.**

* * *

The foreboding staring contest would have been impossible to miss by even a casual observer. Wide jade eyes locked onto black and red lifeless orbs. His eyes were exactly like the mug shot in his ANBU personnel file. He seemed emotionless, empty, blank. A hollow person, who had long since died even though their body continued to live.

Sakura was certain that she was giving herself away. It would be obvious to him now that she recognized him, and knew of him, by reputation at least. Her primary concern though, was how much he knew about her, and where he had gotten the information in the first place. Maybe he had guessed at her name? Maybe he was just teasing her the same way the other man had called her a princess? Her name _was_ a little… ironic.

But no matter how she tried to rationalize her situation, fear kept her eyes glued to his. He looked down at her calmly, almost uninterestedly, but he too refused to look away.

"Do you two know each other?" the other man voice broke her trance and Sakura's head snapped suddenly to the side to look at him. He was easy to recognize as well, from the same Akatsuki file that Sakura had learned about Itachi from, only she hadn't gotten the chance to read more than his name; Hoshigaki Kisame. The pale blue mutant man had a hairless brow ridge raised in confusion at the behavior of the two people across the table from him.

"Not personally," it was Itachi who answered flatly. Seemingly unaware of or unconcerned by the earlier situation, he returned his attention to his food, picking up a tea cup and taking a tiny sip.

"_What the hell does that mean?_" Sakura wanted to interrogate him, but decided that it would be safer to stay silent, in case he knew very little. If she started questioning him, it might give him more information than her, which Sakura was certain was a bad idea.

Several minutes more passed. Kisame stared blankly at the wood grain of the table and sighed in boredom every few seconds. Itachi picked at his food, and Sakura, hoping to keep everyone happy, picked at hers as well.

Her mind rambled at her in an attempt to formulate an escape plan, which would have been somewhat likely, if Kattan hadn't gotten curious and toddled in from the front room. The chubby little black puppy cocked her head at the two strange men as if deciding what her next action should be.

"_No, no! Ka-chan, run! Go away! If they mean to hurt me, they might hurt you too!_" Sakura tried desperately to communicate the urgency of the situation to Kattan with eye contact alone. It didn't work out in her favor.

Kattan whined softly, and Kisame turned around to look at the little wolf behind him.

"Hey, look. A pup," Kisame pointed at Kattan for Itachi's benefit, who continued to ignore everyone equally in favor of stirring even more sugar into his already syrupy tea.

Kisame just seemed pleased to have something other than his tea to occupy himself with, "Hey there, Pup. Is Hime-chan your mum?"

Kattan yipped and wagged her tail happily before prancing over to the trio. She scrambled onto the bench beside Kisame and plopped her big puppy paws on the table in front of her opposite of Sakura.

Sakura held her tongue and stared at her tea, hoping things would sort themselves out without violence. They hadn't made an aggressive move yet, so she would just hold her ground and hope for the best. Maybe Kattan had a plan? At the very least, it couldn't hurt to play along.

Kattan suddenly began to sniff and snort along the table in the direction of the sweets that no one was eating.

"Hungry, Pup?" Kisame pulled some dango from the stick and sat the dumplings in front of Kattan. She lapped them up with enthusiasm. Kisame huffed out a single chuckle and continued to feed his new puppy pal.

"Sweets will make a dog ill," Itachi deadpanned from across the table.

"Don't be such a nanny, a few won't hurt," Kisame retorted, ignoring Itachi's warning.

Sakura clutched her tea, flabbergasted, "_What the hell are they __**doing**__!?_"

She was going to start asking questions at this rate.

Still slightly confused, the waitress returned to check on her guests, "Can I get you anything else?"

"The bill," Itachi replied. The waitress nodded, but reached out to give Sakura her bill before leaving. Sakura reached for the paper, only to have it snatched out of her grasp by Itachi, who sat it by his plate silently.

"You don't have to…" Sakura began but refrained from reaching for her check.

"Oh, come on, Hime-chan. Is it that odd to want to treat a pretty girl to tea and sweets?" Kisame snickered and Sakura couldn't stop herself from shooting him an annoyed glare. He just laughed harder.

Kisame finally stopped laughing at Sakura when the waitress returned with the final check. Itachi took it, and without looking at it, left the two bills under a sizable stack of money, which was obviously significantly more than the two bills combined could ever be. He stood, and gathered his things. Kisame mirrored his actions, then stretched and sighed loudly, "It's about damn time…"

Sakura stayed seated.

"Come."

He seemed fond of one word commands.

"_I don't even talk to Ka-chan like that_," Sakura stayed rooted to her seat.

"I am not overly fond of repeating myself," Itachi reached down and grabbed Sakura by her elbow, encouraging her to her feet a little less than gently.

"_Why? What do they want with me? I need answers, there's nothing for it, I have to know_," Sakura mustered her courage and looked him in the eye, again.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded an answer none too politely, and yanked her elbow free of his grip with ease.

Kisame rolled his eyes and whistled a little before making the decision to head for the door ahead of everyone else. Kattan hopped down from the bench and padded along on his heels. She looked over her shoulder at Sakura, as if asking her to follow, but Sakura's attention was elsewhere.

Outwardly, Sakura was radiating defiant fearlessness, though inside she was a mushy unconfident mess. She stared at him, waiting for an answer. Itachi stared back at her, and Sakura could swear she saw an amused smirk just barely form on his lips. Or was it his eyes that seemed slightly amused? She wasn't sure, since his expression was so abnormally blank most of the time.

Eventually, he broke the stare, and turned to leave. As he gathered Sakura's bags for her, he finally answered.

"Team Seven," then he silently walked to the door.

Numb, and her mind reeling, Sakura helplessly followed the S-class criminals out of the tea house.

The rain had largely stopped, but the sky was still overcast. The small break in the weather had drawn the village residents outdoors, making the streets more crowded than Sakura would have liked. Several paces behind the pair, Sakura noticed that they were not heading for the edge of town. In fact, the familiar path was leading them back to the Inn. Kattan had fallen back away from Kisame to rejoin Sakura, and she continuously glanced behind herself to make sure Sakura was still following. Sakura was lost in worried thoughts, and Kattan whimpered some consolation.

Sakura still didn't know what they were up to. Would they level this town like they had some others? Hopefully, they were just passing through. But then, why didn't they leave while the weather was cooperating? And what did they want with her?

"_He knows me from Team Seven, from Konoha_?" it made little sense to Sakura. While she was on the team, she was just a Genin, and a relatively useless one at that, as much as she hated to admit it. Then, a horrifying thought crossed her mind.

"_Akatsuki is capturing the bijuu," the spy's voice had regained some strength, and his sense of pride was obvious, "What was the name of the Konoha kid with the kuubi? Oh, that's it. Uzumaki. Anyone familiar?"_

The Akatsuki report on Itachi had mentioned an attack several years ago, reason unknown, when Kakashi-sensei had been injured. Were they looking for Naruto then? Did they find out who he was close to then?

"_No, oh no_," dread filled Sakura when she finally realized what their plans were, "_They're going to use me as bait to lure Naruto_!"

Sakura did her best to not reveal her thoughts through her chakra or actions, but Kattan turned suddenly to look at her and whimper loudly. Sakura scooped her up and cuddled her against her chest, which seemed to soothe the black wolf for the time being.

There was no way she was going to allow them to use her to hurt her friend, and potentially all of Konoha. She had to do something!

They would be underestimating her, since they had no idea how much she had improved since she was a Genin, or what she had been through. With the element of surprise on her side, she may just stand a chance against them. She had to at least try.

Sakura was no longer determined to escape, confident that they would simply pursue her and force her into a conflict that could cost more lives than just her own. No, she needed to make sure that they couldn't hurt her friends. She needed to kill them.

The realization was both unnerving and electrifying at the same time. Finally, an opportunity to use her ancestor's jutsu to help her loved ones. All she had to do now was wait for the opportune moment to strike, and use the element of surprise to her advantage. Kattan squirmed a little and whimpered more in Sakura's arms.

"It's going to be okay, Ka-chan," she whispered to the puppy, who only whimpered more loudly.

Ahead of her, Kisame turned around a stopped walking long enough for Sakura to catch up. He reached out and patted Kattan on the head and made a pouty face.

"What's the matter, Pup?" he asked in a baby voice. Sakura rolled her eyes a little, and kept walking with Kattan in her arms.

When the group reached the Inn, Itachi continued inside without skipping a beat. He gave the Innkeeper at her desk a curt nod and ventured upstairs. Kisame followed.

"Hey, hun," the Innkeeper got Sakura's attention in a hushed voice heavy with concern before she could head up the stairs herself, "Are you staying… with them?"

"Oh, it's okay. It's a little odd, the situation, I know, but they… don't mind," Sakura tried to reassure the old woman without giving too much away. She seemed placated for the time being, and Sakura smiled softly before going to her room.

"_I'm going to have to wait until we leave town to start trouble_," Sakura sighed inwardly, "_It's the least I can do for the sake of the townspeople_."

When she opened the door to her room, Sakura found Itachi sitting at the desk. She hadn't expected that they would leave her unattended, but she had actually hoped that the other guy would be watching her. At least he made for slightly more entertaining company.

Kattan was snuggled up on the foot of the bed next to Sakura's things, which Itachi had carried back from the tea house. She carefully rummaged through them, trying not to disturb Kattan as she gathered her things for a bath.

"I'm taking a bath," Sakura stated dryly to Itachi, who seemed preoccupied by the same paperwork he had been working on at the tea house.

He didn't look up as he barely acknowledged that he had heard her, "Hn."

"_At least he's quiet_," she grumbled to herself as she slipped out towards the bathroom.

* * *

Sakura hadn't really needed a bath, she had just wanted to be in a room, any room, that didn't have a dangerous enemy Shinobi in it. Two hours later, wrinkly as a raisin and still sitting in the cold bathwater, Sakura finally decided that the next best place to hide would be under her covers.

There was nothing left to worry about, as they obviously had no intention of directly hurting her yet. Killing the hostage would be the last thing on their mind. She couldn't further plot her attack either, since she couldn't act until they were well away from town and Sakura could be certain no innocent people would be hurt.

With a resigned sigh, she pulled herself out of the bath tub and slipped on a robe. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to put back on the ugly clothes she had been wearing, but she hadn't brought the new ones with her. The clothes she had bought earlier were still in the bag on her bed, in the room with Itachi. She could always demand that he leave so she could change. Maybe she could lock the door when he left. But maybe that would piss him off. She didn't want to anger either of her 'captors' yet.

When she entered the room, Itachi was no longer sitting at the desk. Instead, he was sitting in the middle of the floor without his Akatsuki cloak, his back to the door, hunched over slightly and focusing on something. Sakura, her curiosity potentially getting her into trouble, tip toed over and peered over his shoulder. He was slowly, patiently, practicing kanji on a large rice paper scroll. His form was very good, and the kanji was perfect, but it was a little larger than Sakura was used to seeing. Just a personal style preference?

He hadn't said a word or acknowledged her at all since she had entered, so she returned the favor, and didn't speak to him as she pulled out her new clothes. They were humble civilian clothes, but they were pretty. A simple black tank top, with a little bit of lacy trim for good measure, and a medium length red skirt that reminded her of her old Haruno clan top. Sakura bought them because she hoped they would look good with her fighting gloves and her tall black boots. Well, they'd look better than the other things she had.

Kattan wasn't at the foot of the bed anymore, and Sakura realized once she had gathered her change of clothes that Kattan wasn't in the room at all. On the way to the bathroom to change, she peeked into the room across the hall. Kisame was gone as well.

"Did Ka-chan go with Kisame?" Sakura asked when she reentered her room fully dressed. She was too concerned about Kattan's safety to bother trying to win the 'I'm not paying any attention to you' game she had subconsciously started with her missing-nin roommate. He didn't look up or move at all.

"Yes."

"…Oh," Sakura sat on the bed, and waited for him to elaborate. After a few minutes of painful silence, she realized that he had no intention of filling her in voluntarily.

"So, where did they go?" she was certain the S-class criminal's strengths lay in something other than casual conversation.

"Lunch."

"…Oh."

Silence. Bored, Sakura finally flopped back against the pillows and did her nest to nap a little. Rest would be a good thing considering what she had planned once they left. Wasting her energy now could be potentially fatal later.

It was Itachi who eventually spoke again, "What did you need the scrolls for?"

"_Wow, he said more than one word at once_," she snorted to herself as she sat up to look at him. His attention hadn't left his calligraphy.

"_I probably shouldn't tell him, just in case, but I really do need to work on that as soon as possible_," Sakura hesitated a little as she considered her response. She didn't want to lie, certain he would pick up on it, so she took a play out of his book instead.

"Remembering a family heirloom," her cryptic answer seemed to satisfy him as the silence fell once again.

"_What if he realized I was making fun of him a little? …Whatever_," she snuggled down into the pillows and covers again, and began to recite Miharu's scrolls to herself, since Itachi's inquiry had reminded her of their importance. Eventually, she dozed off into a shallow nap.

* * *

"Squeak! Squeaky SQUEEEEEEEAK!"

Sakura groaned aloud at the annoying noise. It sounded like a small animal was being crushed to death, but the accompanying peals of puppy snorts that Sakura had come to interpret as laughter told her otherwise.

Kisame marched into the small hotel room with several white paper bags in hand. The aroma of take out food filled the room. On his heels, was a delighted Kattan, with a big red squeaky ball filling her tiny mouth.

She bit down on the ball with monstrous force, "SQUEAK!" The hapless ball's protests were only met with more entertained snorts of joy.

"Ka-chan," Sakura addressed the wolf cub directly, a touch of laughter on her voice, "Where did you get that?"

"Pup said she wanted it," Kisame answered as he set the food bags on the desk and began to rummage through them, "So I bought it for her."

"Squeak. Snort. SQUEAK! Snort, snort."

Sakura raised a suspicious and confused eyebrow, "_He sure is being…__**nice**_."

"Here," Kisame pushed a box of food into Sakura's hands, "Pup picked it out for you, so don't blame me if you don't like it."

Sakura peered into the box. It was vegetable tempura, one of Sakura's favorites, aside from umeboshi onigiri, or course.

"Thanks," she smiled at the sharky missing-nin in spite of herself and dug into her food eagerly.

Kisame seemed a bit taken aback by the smile, but quickly recovered. He then handed Itachi a paper cup of hot tea. Itachi only 'hn'-ed in response, which Sakura assumed was supposed to translate as 'thank you.' His deliveries made, Kisame took up the rest of the food for himself and headed over to the other room.

"Squeaky, Squeak. Snort."

"Come on, Pup. If you're going to play with that thing go in the other room so you don't give Itachi a headache," Kattan cocked her head as if considering her options, then followed Kisame out, squeaking the ball with every step.

* * *

The hours dragged by, and Sakura began to get the sense that they were waiting for something. Both of her Akatsuki captors busied themselves with mundane tasks, something unusual for a Shinobi, unless they were waiting for something. As the evening waned into dusk, that something finally arrived.

The short, slightly chubby civilian mail carrier came ambling up the stairs and into Sakura's hotel room cautiously. He only carried one piece of mail, though his pockets were obviously full of something else, likely money.

"Uh, good evening…" the man was obviously a little nervous as he held the small scroll out, "It's, uh, addressed to a …uh...Fish Face-san."

Itachi sighed and approached the man, "I'll take it."

The mail carrier handed the scroll over happily, and quickly turned to leave. He glanced suspiciously at the pink haired girl perched quietly on the bed as he reached the doorway. Sakura gave him a big cheesy smile and waved. Confused, the man left, shaking his head.

The mail must have been important, as Itachi quickly headed over to the other room to find Kisame.

"About fucking time," she could hear Kisame cussing across the hall way, "They give any reason why the hell they didn't meet us at that tea house like they were supposed to?"

Sakura could barely make out Itachi's quieter voice, though she couldn't make out which one word responses he was giving to his partner in crime.

Eventually, they both entered Sakura's room again, with Kattan right behind them.

"Pack."

Itachi followed his own order to Sakura and began to gather his supplies. He threw on his Akatsuki cloak, followed by the wicker hat. It didn't take Sakura long to get ready, since she never really unpacked to begin with, and by the time Itachi had his things in order, so did Sakura. On his way out of the door, Itachi deposited another hefty stack of money on the desk, meant to cover both rooms, and then silently left. Kisame followed wordlessly, and Sakura and Kattan trailed along behind him.

* * *

Sakura was expecting S-class Shinobi to travel at the speed of light. So she was surprised, and honestly a little relieved, to discover that the travel would be at the speed of a casual stroll. Neither of her missing-nin escorts seemed in much of a hurry, and even Kisame's boredom seemed satisfied to simply be on the move.

They walked in silence like that, towards the south east, through the dark of night. It wasn't raining anymore, but the air was saturated with humidity, and clouds still filled the sky. Morning came grey and slowly. It was then that Sakura decided that they were far enough away from the village that she could safely make her move.

"Can we take a break?" she asked suddenly from behind the two men. They both turned to look at her. Kattan whimpered.

"Quickly," Itachi responded as he sighed and sat down right where he stood. Kisame wandered off to find a rock to lean against, and Sakura rummaged through her bag looking for a snack. Sakura tried to keep Kattan busy with some food. She must have been able to sense the upcoming battle, and was a wiggly whiny mess.

Neither of the criminal Shinobi seemed very focused on their pink haired ward, and Sakura was delighted that Kisame had wandered sufficiently far to give her a chance to get a hit in on Itachi before he could interfere. Itachi's back was to her. He was sitting hunched over again, and he seemed to be staring at the rocky dirt at his feet. It was now or never.

"Ninpou, Fukappatsu na Jikoku no Jutsu."

Sakura opened both of the first two gates for an extra flood of chakra she had never experienced before. The sudden spike in her aura brought both men into instant alert. She was pouring as much chakra as she could manage into the time jutsu, and still they both had such quick reaction times that Kisame was slow-motion running towards her, and making good progress, and Itachi had already turned to face her, crouched as he began to stand. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he mouthed something that even in slow motion was too quick for Sakura to make out. Fast. How on earth could a person be so fast?

Suddenly, Sakura felt a pull at her mind. It was an odd forceful tug, and it immediately reminded her of Ino's mind switch technique. Itachi's Sharingan swirled, and picked up speed, and Sakura's world began to dissolve.

"_No, no! Genjutsu!?_" Sakura stared right at him, and like she had during the first Chuunin exams, she pushed her awareness to the outside world with all of her mental might. Her focus continued to melt, and soon she was stuck in a surreal world of red and black, but she still had a foot hold on reality.

In the Genjutsu world, there was another Itachi, talking, it seemed, but Sakura's primary focus was on her chakra in the real world, which she was gathering into a punch that would shock Tsunade herself. She couldn't wait much longer. Though she had only experienced milliseconds since she had slowed time, Kisame was halfway to her, and Itachi was standing, his hold on her psyche strengthening. She felt her consciousness begin to slip away as his technique intensified, and Sakura pulled her fist back.

With every last ounce of her enhanced chakra, Sakura swung her fist, aiming for Itachi's emotionless face. The first vestiges of surprise were the last thing she saw in his eyes before everything slipped into darkness.

* * *

A/N: Ouch. Don't mess with Sakura, you'll get clobbered, lol. I know I said I'd post the first chapter of 'Hesitation' before this one, and I did work on it (in fact I have the entire outline done now) but I got the urge to work on 'Soutou' first. Anyway, 'Hesitation' should be posted sometime this weekend or early next week, and the next chapter of 'Soutou' should be out late next week or next weekend, as long as work doesn't interfere. Thanks to all of my reviewers and watchers, I'm really glad that the story is appreciated by all of you!


	3. Acquiescence

**Soutou "Struggle"  
**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Acquiescence**

**Struggle - to be coping with inability to perform well or to win.**

* * *

It was utterly dark. Sakura was frightened. Her heart raced and her mind scrambled for answers. The smell of untreated wood filled her nostrils, and her heart beat faster.

"_No, no, I can't be back there. I'm not in that place. This isn't happening!_"

Her limbs felt heavy, weighed down and useless. Or tied down. Sakura was terrified. The smell of blood filled her nostrils, and she screamed.

* * *

"NO!"

Sakura bolted upright, throwing the heavy down comforter onto the floor in apparent disgust. As her eyes began to focus in the surprisingly bright room, she came to the realization that she had been having a nightmare.

She wasn't trapped, restrained in a tiny wooden prison. Sakura was suffocating in a super fluffy bed in a rustic looking hotel room. The unfinished wood furniture and floor made the entire room smell earthy and fragrant, a scent that would have been pleasing if not for the memories Sakura now associated with it. The heavy blankets had gotten wrapped around her, making her think she had been held down. The smell of blood…

Sakura gasped a little when she realized that the room wasn't at all empty. Sitting at the desk across the room, shrouded in a heavy shadow, was Uchiha Itachi. Alive, but not well.

He was pale, and fevered, his skin glistening from an unhealthy sweat. His eyes were even more sunken and hollow than usual, and he sat hunched over, obviously in pain. His right shoulder was wrapped tightly with bandages, and his arm had been bandaged to his side to make it immobile. The linen bandage and his clothes were soaked with blood.

"_Damn,_" Sakura cussed to herself, "_I missed_."

"Kisame left," Sakura looked up in surprise when Itachi spoke. His voice was barely a whisper, and he had to pause between words to breathe, a simple act which seemed to cause him great discomfort.

"_Is he volunteering information now? Did I punch some niceness into him, or something_?" Sakura scoffed a little, but listened patiently without interrupting as he struggled to speak.

"To find… a doctor."

Sakura came to a sudden realization. He was in no condition to chase her, or defend himself for that matter. She could finish the job, and leave before Kisame got back. Without a word, she slipped out of the bed, and began to pack her things.

"Your chakra… was drained," Itachi informed her, and she turned to him smugly.

"Nice try, but you only got the tiny bit of residual surface chakra, I've got plenty tucked away for emergencies," feeling confident, Sakura stuck her tongue out at the S-class missing-nin. The childishly defiant gesture didn't faze him one bit though.

"Leave… we will not pursue you… we will only…slaughter everyone we see… until you return."

Itachi's deadpan words only pissed her off.

"You think you can intimidate me into obedience with empty threats like that?" Sakura stormed across the room and stood over him menacingly.

She leaned down to his level, and whispered directly in his face, "What the fuck makes you think I'm leaving _either_ of you alive?"

His eyes narrowed at her threat, her voice laced with enough venom to make it painfully clear that it was not an idle one.

Before Sakura could capitalize more on the recent turn of power, a chorus of puppy yelps erupted from under the desk. She peered under the chair Itachi was slumped in. At his feet, sat Kattan. Her little puppy chest was heaving in distress, and she bellowed out more pitiful cries that escalated into full blown howling. When she ran out of breath, she tilted her head back, and licked Itachi's hand, which laid limply across his leg.

"_What did he do to her!?_" Sakura's first reaction was quickly proven wrong when Kattan leapt up and began to do figure eights around Sakura's legs. She whined, and wagged her tail so hard her entire body flipped back and forth with the effort. She wasn't wounded, so what was wrong?

"What's the matter Ka-chan?" Sakura whispered to the puppy, and Kattan ran back to Itachi's feet to lick his hand again. Was she distressed by his injuries? Was Kattan trying to get Sakura to heal him?

"_Don't you realize that he's evil? He's a monster, the enemy…right?_"

The persistent wolf pup's behavior was feeding Sakura's doubt.

"_He's a monster_…"

* * *

"_Does your sweet sister know you work for murderous monsters?" she finally retorted after the spy's coughing had subsided._

"_Monsters?" he considered the word quizzically, as if he had never heard it before. _

_His voice was rougher and raspy from his fit of coughing, "I don't work for monsters any more than you do."_

* * *

"_He doesn't deserve my help, or my pity_."

* * *

_The war. It dawned on Sakura as she reconsidered his age. He couldn't have been more than five years old during the last war, the same war that had claimed Sakura's father. Itachi was born after it started, and he lived through it for his most tender years. What horrible things did he witness in that war? For an instant, Sakura felt a flicker of sympathy…_

* * *

"_I can't trust him…_"

* * *

_She had been thrown hard against another cart, and was laying sprawled on the ground crying out in pain. The yelps were involuntary._

"_No, no!" Sakura whispered as she scooted closer to the puppy, "Don't die! You saved me!" _

_There was no way Sakura was going to have the chakra to heal Kattan. Not without risking her own life._

"_You risked your life for me," Sakura told the little wolf with resolve, "It's the least I can do for you."_

* * *

"… _but I trust you, Ka-chan_."

Sakura looked down at the little black puppy, now wiggling in delight, still propped up against Itachi's leg. Was she really going to risk betraying her village on the advice of a tiny wolf cub?

"_A tiny wolf cub who hasn't been wrong about anything yet._"

"Gods, what am I doing?" she sighed heavily and shook her head with resignation as she began to assess Itachi's injuries. He cringed visibly, and tried to lean away from her. A tiny glint of fear danced for a split second across his glazed over eyes. He was still expecting her to kill him.

"Don't be such a baby," Sakura scolded, and his head tilted ever so slightly in confusion, but he didn't struggle as she gently laid her hands on his shoulder and back.

His injuries were extensive. Sakura wouldn't have had to actively kill him, he was well on his way to death without any extra assistance. The punch she had aimed at his head had only grazed his shoulder, but the concentrated chakra was still enough to have liquefied his bones. There was no supporting structure in his shoulder, as most of the larger chunks of bone had been propelled out of his back like shrapnel from the massive blunt force trauma. His arm was a limp useless sack of blood, which slowly oozed out of the exit wounds produced by his bones. His right lung was filled with blood and his ribs were shattered. But that wasn't the worst of it.

The chakra pathways vital for jutsu, were gone. They had long been destroyed, the same sort of damage Sakura had warned Lee could be caused by overuse of the chakra gates. The injuries were mostly old, filling his body with scar tissue, but the most recent damage was extensive and likely excruciating. Forcing chakra through the body without chakra pathways to properly conduct the energy would cause massive tissue damage, and would eventually cause all of the internal organs to shut down from the volume of internal bleeding. His optical nerves were bloody ineffective bundles of scar tissue, which meant he was either blind or well on his way to it. What could have caused that damage? It wasn't from her punch.

"_The Sharingan_," Sakura nodded to herself when she realized that the technique he had tried to use on her was what had caused the most recent injuries. The strain from the jutsu alone wouldn't have killed him, but he would have taken days to recover enough to even walk.

It must have been exhausting, trying to live through the pain and still function as a Shinobi. His odd behavior suddenly all made sense. The over sized kanji he was painting, his lack of appetite for anything other than sugary tea, his constantly activated kekkei genkai. Maybe he was even just grumpy and anti social because he felt like shit? Maybe he was just an ass anyway.

Having completed her exam, she set to work. Itachi squirmed a little, and looked up at her. His expression, was his usual blank emotionless void, but for some reason, Sakura got the sense he was weary of her.

"_I should probably knock him out for this_," Sakura realized when she considered the painful techniques she would need to use to heal his shoulder and reverse the damage to his chakra pathways.

"Just so you know… I still _really hate_ you. But don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!" she beamed down at Itachi and exclaimed with a mischievous grin. His eyes widened ever so slightly.

She opened the first two gates, and injected a tiny bit of chakra into the base of his skull. His eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped forwards suddenly, his forehead landing with a hollow thump on the desk in front of him. She pulled up a chair beside his so she could sit more comfortably while she worked.

Sakura looked down at Kattan, who was grinning happily from her spot between Itachi's feet, "I hope you're right about this, Ka-chan."

* * *

"Glad to see you two kids are finally getting along."

Kisame's voice startled Sakura awake, and she sat up with a yelp. When had she fallen asleep? She looked down at the pillow she was sleeping on, only to realize with alarm that it was Itachi's healed and shirtless back. She had removed the bandaging and bloodied clothes so she could be more precise during the reconstruction process. She hadn't meant to fall asleep there.

Itachi was alive and well, but dead to the world. He was just as she had left him, slumped over with his cheek squished against the desk. In his sleep, he had begun to drool a little, and Sakura snorted in amusement at the sight.

_"He looks better than ever, younger even,"_ she thought as she admired her handiwork, _"Maybe Tsunade-shishou was right about me after all."_

"Shouldn't you be unconscious, or something, Hime-chan?"

Sakura turned to Kisame, confusion at his question evident on her face. He stood on the opposite side of the desk, his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised. He had been there watching them sleep long enough to shed his cloak and supplies.

Kisame elaborated, a little confused himself, "Samehada ate all of your chakra before I left. You know, so you wouldn't wake up and make trouble, or anything."

"Oh, that," Sakura shook off the confusion and stated bluntly, "I can open the chakra gates, so I can get to chakra that your sword can't. That's all."

Kisame stared at her, his eyes narrow and his mouth slightly agape. Sakura instinctively squirmed under his scrutiny.

"What?" she wasn't sure she liked how he was looking at her.

"First," his voice was heavy with disbelief, "You resist one of Itachi's most powerful techniques. Then, you clobber the living shit out of him, and I mean, _clobbered_!"

Kisame gestured wildly as he became more excited, "And, you _really_ nailed him! He went flipping through air head over heels, and I _know_ he was unconscious way before he even hit the ground."

Sakura snickered a little at the image, but quickly collected herself and nodded to signal that she was still listening.

"You have a mean punch, Hime-chan, he's lucky you didn't aim for something vital," Kisame exclaimed in a scolding tone.

"...I was aiming for his head," Sakura admitted as she bit back a sly smirk.

Kisame stilled for a second, his arms limp at his sides and his beady eyes turned upwards slightly as if he was digesting that last bit of information.

"Then," he finally continued, a little more sedate, "I drain your chakra, so when I leave you alone with him, to get a doctor so he doesn't die, you won't wake up and try to finish him off. Only, you _do_ wake up. But, here's the most confusing part, not only do you _not_ kill him, you _heal_ him."

"Yeah…" Sakura paused as if she was reluctant to own up to the fact, "I only healed him because Ka-chan told me to."

Kattan yipped in confirmation. Sakura sat quietly in the chair, her hands folded in her lap. Kisame did the open mouthed staring thing for a few more minutes. Eventually, he began to shake his head and laugh.

"That'll be the last time we underestimate you, I can guarantee that. You sure are something, Hime-chan," he ventured over to the bed and sat with a huff. Kattan scurried out from under the desk and bounced onto the bed next to Kisame.

He patted her on the head, "Yeah, yeah, you're special too, Pup."

Kattan snorted in joy. Kisame examined Itachi from across the room.

"...Never seen him sleep like that...You know, I found some sleazy doctor type, and paid him up front to convince him I wasn't trying to mug him," there was laughter in his tone as he adressed Sakura, "and when I bring him up here, all we find is Itachi cured and you cuddled up to him."

"It wasn't cuddling!" Sakura shrieked, red faced.

Beside her, Itachi groaned, his sleep disturbed by her outburst. He sat up slowly, and blinked groggily. He reached up and lazily wiped the drool from his mouth as he surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide, in obvious shock, and he became completely still.

"Hey," Kisame greeted from the foot of the bed, "You alright?"

Itachi looked up at Kisame as if the shark-nin had sprouted a dorsal fin and tail.

"I…," he hesitated as he stared down at his hand, then over to a smiling Sakura, in utter disbelief, "I'm healed."

"Yeah, Hime-chan-" Kisame began to explain but was cut off by Itachi.

"Completely."

"…you mean, you can _see_?"

"_Ha, so I was right about his vision_," Sakura inwardly cheered at her skills of diagnosis as she watched the curious exchange between the two Akatsuki men. They both spoke slowly, carefully, as if trying to fully grasp the gravity of the development.

"Perfectly."

"So, how do you feel?"

"Like… it never happened."

Itachi's stomach suddenly erupted in an embarrassing chorus of groans and grumbles.

He looked down at his abdomen as if seeing it for the first time, "I'm hungry."

To her horror, Sakura's stomach, not to be outdone, bellowed even more loudly.

"Huh," she blushed a little as the two men turned to her in surprise, "Me too."

Kisame stood suddenly, "There's a barbeque place on the first floor of the Inn, let's go check it out."

"Okay," Sakura bounced up from the chair, eager to escape the akward moment, and headed for the door. Kisame and Kattan followed her out, while Itachi pulled on a spare shirt before catching up.

* * *

To Sakura's relief, the restaurant was largely empty as the three missing-nin approached the front desk. Neither of the Akatsuki members were wearing their distinctive robes, and Sakura's clothes were decidedly civilian, so while Kisame earned a few curious stares, the three were largely ignored. Sakura scooped Kattan up into her arms as she addressed the hostess.

"Table for four please!" she chirped cheerfully while Kattan made the cutest puppy dog face she could manage.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the middle aged woman faked a disappointed smile, "dogs aren't allowed in the restaurant."

Itachi sighed in hungry frustration and Sakura pouted, a little offended. Kattan whimpered.

"Ka-chan is not a dog!" Sakura defended hotly and corrected the woman, "She's a fur baby."

Kisame burst out laughing. He leaned against the adjacent wall for support as he tried unsuccessfully to collect himself. Itachi intervened and slipped a tantalizing stack of money on the counter, obviously willing to pay any price for some food.

"Uh," the hostess hesitated, then quickly snatched up the money before anyone saw, "Does the… fur baby…need a high chair?"

"No, thank you, Ka-chan can reach the table just fine," Sakura responded politely as Kisame continued to snort in amusement.

The hostess led them to a quiet corner of the restaurant, away from the other customers, and hurriedly took their drink orders before slipping away a bit shamefully.

"So, where exactly are we?" Sakura decided to get the small talk going while getting some useful information in the process. The odly casual mood of the moment was threatening to disctact Sakura from her need to protect Konoha, which she hated to admit, she had actively hindered when she yielded to Kattan's request to heal Itachi. The next move was unclear, so all she could do was cooperate and listen.

Sakura hadn't directly addressed either of the men sitting in the booth across from her, though she assumed Kisame would be the one to answer. The hostess returned with the drinks and took the food order. Kisame took a sip of his sake before filling Sakura in on the situation.

"Well, after the little incident where you handed Itachi his own ass, I carried you both all the way here," the snarky comment earned him a less than pleasant look from the man sitting next to him. He snickered a little, unfazed by Itachi's subtle death glare, and continued.

"We're in Koueki, it's a large trading town in Fire Country near the border of Tea Country. Basically, any goods that come up from the peninsula and the coast pass through here first," Kisame paused for another sip, and Sakura nodded in understanding as she stirred her green tea.

Kisame continued, "We're on a mission, a lame one, to collect a huge bounty. This mercenary guy, according to our data, received a mission in Tea Country, and is likely going to pass through here on his way there. We're hoping to intercept him, but since our mission data was late, we might be too."

"That's why you were waiting around in that little village? For the mission info?" Sakura asked with interest.

"Yup," Kisame confirmed.

"What's the guy like?"

"Oh, he's a real asshole, one of those types that'll do anything for a quick buck," Kisame snorted as he tossed back a swig of sake. He seemed a little disgusted by the idea, and that intrigued Sakura. Why would someone who had a reputation for doing the same sorts of things be appalled by them being done by someone else? What a hypocrite. Sakura was too invested in trying to stay on their good side for now though, so she didn't voice her thoughts.

"Heard the guy who's offering the bounty is some Fire Country lord who's entire family, children and all, were wiped out by the bastard."

"_What!?_" his last statement reminded her of something she had heard, "_The man from the bandit convoy, hadn't he said something similar_?"

"Everything alright?" Itachi looked up from chugging his fifth cup of tea, surprising Sakura with his concern. She hadn't realized the fear that had shown in her eyes at the memory of the man.

"It's just that… I think I've met the guy. Well, not _met_," she corrected, "more like, had the misfortune of crossing paths with…"

She trailed off, reluctant to elaborate. Luckily, the food arrived, and everyone was sufficiently distracted to allow her to drop the subject unnoticed.

Sakura served Kattan, and then wasted no time digging in. She was too hungry to care about etiquette and manners, which was a good thing, as she found herself practically battling Itachi for the lion's share of the food. Poor Kisame was hardly able to get a bite in edgewise as his two significantly more petite table mates devoured the food like a pair of starving animals.

Finally, two _extra_ servings later, Sakura and Itachi sat slouched back, satiated and slightly bloated, as they waited for the check.

"In all of the years I've known you," Kisame shook his head in mortification at Itachi, "I've never seen you eat like that."

"I now have an appetite," Itachi replied, unashamed.

"Your welcome," Sakura giggled, and her belly sloshed audibly at the motion.

"Shouldn't you scold her too?" Itachi retorted.

"I expect behavior like that from Hime-chan," Kisame laughed as Sakura shot him a mock glare.

"Sakura? You aren't dead?"

The three missing-nin turned their heads in synch towards the man standing at the edge of the table. The man who had just addressed Sakura.

He was middle aged, at the youngest, and slightly overweight. He was balding, but obviously trying to hide it under a stupid looking comb over. His clothes were disgustingly expensive looking. But most notably, Sakura had never seen him before.

"Uh, I don't know who you think I am, but you're wrong," Sakura quickly retorted, "I don't know you."

"You look just like that picture your grandparents sent me," he pulled out his wallet and held up a picture. It was the one Sakura's mother had taken the day she had passed the Chuunin exams.

"_Fuck! Who is this guy_?"

Sakura hid her discomfort, and lied, "Oh, wow, she really does look a lot like me. I can see how you'd get us confused, but sorry, I'm not dead, I'm not a Shinobi, and my grandparents _are_ dead, so they couldn't have given you anything."

"Huh," the man put the picture away but he didn't seem convinced, "Yeah, you're right. I guess not. Anyway, this girl's grandparents are fine, it's both of her _parents_ that are dead. Sorry to disturb you."

He paused, looking for a reaction. Sakura pushed his words right past her mind and ignored him, "It's okay, have a nice day."

When he finally left, she spoke to the two waiting Akatsuki, "Thanks for not getting involved, really. It could have been a mess if he wanted it to be."

"Who was he?" Kisame seemed more upset than Sakura, his brow furrowed in anger.

"Just some guy, my… _ex_-grandparents know," she sighed sadly, "They disowned me and my mother because I wouldn't marry him."

"Wow, Hime-chan, I'm sorry your grandparents suck so much," Sakura laughed in spite of herself at Kisame's astute observation.

"He was just trying to agitate you," Itachi stated suddenly, "You reacted properly to his lie."

Sakura smiled softly at Itachi's attempt at comforting words. She had to admit it, he did help. If _he, _the undisputed champion of manipulation, thought the suggestion at her mother's death was a lie, it probably was.

"Thank you," but Sakura's stomach still twisted in a knot of worry, "If it's okay, do you think, after the bounty mission, we could go by Konoha, just so I can…check?"

She glanced up at Itachi, who wore his usual emotionless mask as he nodded curtly at her question.

"Gee, Hime-chan, you make it sound like you plan on sticking around," Kisame teased.

"_Leave… we will not pursue you… we will only…slaughter everyone we see… until you return."_

It wasn't her idea to stay, he had made it clear that she wasn't _allowed_ to leave. She was a hostage, the bait, they wouldn't let her leave if she tried. But would they really do what Itachi had threatened? Their casual behavior ran so counter to her mental image of them that she was beginning to think that he had only said in desperation whatever he thought would make her stay without a fight. But they were monsters, right? Maybe that's part of what made them so dangerous? You don't always expect it until it's too late.

"Well," Sakura finally replied with a shrug, "It's not like I have anything better to do."

* * *

The next few days were a little surreal for Sakura. Itachi had given her a copy of the bounty mission, and the three had split up to gather information on their quarry. They met up again each evening at the Inn to share their respective dead ends and frustration.

Kisame would grumble, and drink sake. Itachi would deliver his report and then retire to his kanji practice. Sakura would share the fact that she found nothing, and then work on writing down a new copy of Miharu's scrolls. Neither Kisame nor Itachi bothered her about what she was doing, so she felt safe enough to finally get around to recording her ancestor's precious gift.

It was odd, spending time with them as a sort of temporary ally. They shared meals together, Kisame and Sakura chatted a bit, and they even shared the hotel room, though Sakura got the bed since Itachi didn't seem to sleep and Kisame always seemed to drink enough sake to fall asleep pretty much anywhere. It was like she was a part of a team again, a dysfunctional S-class missing-nin team. It was like she was a valued and trusted member of Akatsuki, not the kidnapped bait she truly was.

In truth, Sakura didn't trust either one of them, and had only agreed to help because the faster that they captured the bounty, the faster she could run home to check on her mother. She knew that going to Konoha at all was a bad idea, even if they did think she was dead, but the brush with her would-have-been fiancée had left a bad feeling in her gut that simply refused to pass.

By the third day of fruitless searching, Kisame eventually discovered that the mercenary had left the same day they had arrived. Luckily, Kisame also found out exactly where he was going to be.

The trail was finally hot, but before they could leave they needed to restock on some supplies. Kisame had left with Kattan to run some personal errands, which Itachi had later noted meant that he was buying alcohol and neither of them were invited because they were too young.

Instead, Itachi and Sakura went to the busy Market Street to buy some fruit and non-perishable food for the road. The street was lined with a myriad of shouting vendors selling everything from food and weapons to jewelry and rare technology. Sakura even saw a few cars for sale, which was a silly luxury, since there wasn't much in the way of roads to drive them on anyway.

When they found a fruit vendor, Sakura tried her hand at talking Itachi into letting her buy some expensive strawberries.

"Come on, Itachi-san, they're my favorite. I'll pay for half!"

Sakura dug through her bag for the last of her money so she could present it to the old man behind the counter. She had already spent most of her stolen money on food during the days she had been set loose in search of the bounty, and there wasn't enough left to buy even the smallest basket of the precious fruit.

"No," Itachi expertly ignored her pleas as he filled a small sack with boring old apples.

"Grump," she huffed and stuck out her tongue. He ignored her some more as he paid for the apples and turned to leave. Defeated, Sakura sulked behind him.

Suddenly, a chakra in the crowd distracted her. She peered around a taller woman at another stall and sure enough, she caught a glimpse of a gaudy suit and an ugly comb over.

"Shit," she cussed under her breath, "He's heading this way!"

Itachi followed her gaze and soon realized who had caught her attention.

"It would be best to avoid another confrontation," Itachi confirmed as he led Sakura away from the main street and towards a narrow alley, "We can wait here until he passes."

Sakura nodded and did her best to hide behind Itachi's larger frame. It didn't take long for Sakura to recognize the man's voice as he gave a hapless street vendor some 'holier than thou' attitude.

She scoffed, and looked up at Itachi.

"What a fucking ass," she mouthed silently as she shook her head in disbelief. He smirked a little in response.

The chubby man grew louder, and nearer, and Sakura subconsciously moved in closer to Itachi, in an attempt to make herself completely invisible behind him. The proximity wasn't entirely comfortable, but it was better than getting spotted. She froze, holding her breath.

An odd tingly sensation that made her heart beat erratically came over Sakura while she was waiting silently, and she looked up at Itachi to see if he felt it too. Before she could make eye contact with him though, she noticed him leaning in over her. Hesitantly, his lips tickled hers.

"EH!?" Sakura let out the breath she had been holding and leapt back in surprise as if escaping from a fire.

Itachi turned away before she could catch his expression and he stated dryly, "It seems that the annoyance has moved on. We need to meet Kisame."

Confused, no, _flabbergasted_, and still tingly, Sakura stumbled out of the alley behind him.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, I said I'd work on 'Hesitation'. I LIED, okay? Actually, I have a bit of writer's block on that story, but that's the good thing about writing more than one at a time. If your muse ran away from one story, she's likely hanging around in the other. I REALLY wanted to write this chapter. It was bothering me so badly that I hardly slept last night, woke up early, and had the entire thing written in a matter of hours. Given the nature of the awesome reviews I've been getting, I'm under the impression that no one will be disappointed by this early update, ne?


	4. Will Be Unbroken

**Soutou "Struggle"**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Will Be Unbroken**

**Struggle - to contend with difficulty.**

**

* * *

**The break in the weather was mercifully lasting. It hadn't rained more than a light shower since Sakura and her S-class criminal escorts had left the busy town of Koueki for the southern tip of the Tea Country peninsula in search of their mercenary bounty. The weather conditions, though foggy, were drier and made travel faster and easier, helping them regain ground lost to their quarry. Sakura noted that it was unlikely that he was traveling as fast as they were, as she struggled with all of her endurance to keep up with Itachi and Kisame who ran through the rocky coastal landscape just ahead of her. If they could maintain their current pace, they would easily catch up to the man in the next town.

Kisame had been carrying Kattan the entire time, since the chubby little puppy was incapable of keeping up on her own. She was so much smaller than him that he probably didn't even notice her weight as he leapt through the landscape with impressive speed for someone his mass.

Sakura was doing her best to run and leap with grace, but her breaths were coming in gasps and it was taking a good bit of her chakra to maintain her footing on the occasionally slippery and jagged rocks. She refused to open the chakra gates, since she had no idea what kind of fight might be ahead of them. Hopefully, the mercenary would be alone, but he could have allies, and there could be Shinobi. Draining her reserves without knowing what they were rushing towards was a bad idea, especially if she needed to perform medical jutsu later.

A steep outcropping of rocks faded into view through the light mist and the silent decision was made to simply go over it instead of wasting time looking for a way around, as Itachi smoothly leapt over the obstacle as if it had been a pebble. Kisame followed just as easily.

Sakura decided to take the sheer cliff-like projection in two parts, leaping halfway up and using her chakra to propel herself the rest of the way. As her feet contacted the moss covered surface of the face of the rocks, she slipped. She scrambled for the chakra to recover, but had already lost momentum. Focusing on the top of the cliff, she forced her chakra to her feet and shot upwards before she could fall and make a fool of herself.

Unfortunately, the slip had cost her, and she barely cleared the edge of the top rock. She landed heavily, dragging one leg across the jagged edge as she stumbled forwards. She sucked in a heavy breath through her teeth, wincing slightly at the pain as she caught herself and continued onward.

Several dozen meters ahead of her, Itachi glanced back. Her slip hadn't gone unnoticed.

"_What the hell are you looking at, you smug bastard!?_" Sakura growled to herself as she directed a tiny bit of healing chakra to her scraped up knee and thigh. She glared angrily at the ground, unwilling to make eye contact with him at all. She was blushing enough already, looking at him was absolutely out of the question.

Itachi continued forward, but Sakura noticed that his pace had slowed very slightly. He looked as refreshed as when they had started, so she knew that he wasn't slowing down for his own benefit.

"_Don't underestimate me, you prick. __**You**__ would be the one lagging behind if I hadn't healed your ungrateful ass_," Sakura had been pissed off and cussing at him in her mind ever since they had left Koueki. She glared daggers at the back of his head.

Actually, she had been pissed off ever since he had done… whatever it was he did at the Market Street.

"_Argh, eew, don't even think about that_!" Sakura nearly stumbled again, she was so off put by her own thoughts. Itachi hadn't spoken a word since they met Kisame and left Koueki, but Sakura didn't assume it was out of the ordinary, since he didn't seem the type that talked much unless it was absolutely necessary anyway. It was the fact that he refused to do more than glance at her that irritated her. He was not above glaring contests, and his complete lack of eye contact seemed like avoidance to Sakura. But avoidance of what?

At first, she had hoped that he had just bumped into her. They were standing awfully close. But then she considered _who_ he was. Uchiha Itachi probably could have polka danced around the Market Street blindfolded and gone untouched and unnoticed by any of the citizens. Especially since he had just regained his vision, it was clearly impossible for it to have been an accident. S-class Shinobi don't bump into people.

So he did it on purpose. But what was _it_? What _did_ he do? Technically, he hadn't gotten the chance to do anything, since Sakura had jumped back before much really happened. So, then, what was he _trying_ to do? It was unfathomable, it made no sense, but Sakura couldn't get out of her head the possibility that Uchiha Itachi had been trying to… kiss her.

"_Gods, no, no way. There has to be a logical explanation. Some mind game, some trick, something_," she groaned as her heart did back flips in her rib cage. She pushed the memories back, refusing to focus on them in the fear that she might, ashamedly, like it a little. But only a little. _Tiny_ bit.

Sakura glanced up at the two Shinobi ahead of her. Both had slowed down a little more, barely enough to be noticeable. It was hard to admit, but she was having an easier time keeping up, and was grateful. But she was also pissed off.

"_I'm not weak_," she chanted to herself, but the feeling of defeat lingered. Again, she was surrounded by people who glaringly outclassed her, and she couldn't help but feel like she was exactly where she had been in Team Seven. Struggling to keep up, always looking at their backs. Not with them, just being dragged along behind them. It wasn't like she expected or even wanted the Akatsuki's respect, she was technically a captive after all, even if she hadn't been treated much like one.

The problem was that she was having a hard time respecting herself again. When it was just her and Kattan, they were partners. It was about survival, no matter how tough, and every bit of strength she found in herself was hers alone. Now, there were people supporting her again, looking out for her, even when she didn't want it. She didn't have to stand on her own two feet anymore, and she was disappointed in herself when she took advantage of that situation.

It didn't matter, though. The situation was going to change soon. She hadn't worked out any details yet, but she was planning on dumping her captors after the visit to Konoha. Sakura wouldn't allow them to use her as bait for Naruto. She would do everything in her power to protect him, and everyone else she loved, and at the moment, the best way to do that was to look for opportunities to escape from the Akatsuki. If she could fake her own death again, or make it look like she was taken by ANBU, they wouldn't follow through with their threat to kill people.

"_They're only being nice and protecting me so I'll stick around without complaint until they want to use me. I'm not staying cooperative long enough to see their true colors_," Sakura's resolution helped her chakra focus, and she was able to speed up enough to follow directly behind them for the rest of the trip.

* * *

It was very early morning and still dark when they finally reached the small fishing village. Kisame's information had said that the mercenary's mission involved intercepting a caravan of merchants just outside of the village and stealing some rare merchandise as well as murdering the owner of the caravan. Sakura hoped that he would be captured before he got a chance to carry out his plans. Instead of checking into the dilapidated Inn, Itachi and Kisame began to set up a meager camp just outside of the village near the route the merchant caravan would be traveling.

Sakura began to rummage through her supplies for something to eat. The dry rations and overripe mellow apples looked less than appetizing, so she grabbed her nearly empty change bag in the hopes of having enough for something cooked or even some fresh fruit.

"I'm going to check out the village," Sakura told Kisame as he worked on starting a small smokeless fire. He nodded, but didn't look up from his pile of wood.

Itachi suddenly stood and walked over to her. Sakura fiddled with her money pouch, pretending to count her change. She blushed furiously, but refused to look up as he came to a stop directly in front of her. He was several inches from her, but she could feel the heat radiating from his body, pushing away the stinging chill of the crisp morning air. Suddenly aware of how cold she was, it took all of Sakura's willpower not to wrap him around herself like a heated blanket.

"_Eww, no, not thinking that_!" she hushed her traitorous thoughts and counted her money, again.

"If they have any tea," he said, his was voice its usual level monotone. Sakura blinked in confusion, her gaze wandering up to his mouth as he held out a fisted hand to her, "Bring some back."

She hesitantly held out her hand under his, and he dropped a fist full of change into her outstretched palm. He had barely touched her, but she shivered involuntarily. Still staring at his mouth, she nodded slowly, "Okay."

Her voice was a meek whisper, its strength stolen by the ridiculous thoughts screaming through her mind at the awkwardness of the interaction. Was she the only one making it awkward though?

He turned away suddenly, and began to walk back towards the small fire Kisame had started. Sakura's body began to tingle, though not from the cold. Pushing down the thoughts of his lips, and the way they felt when they just barely brushed against hers-

"_No, eww! Stop it!_" she shook her head to clear her thoughts, and pocketed the money.

"Come on, Ka-chan," Sakura called to the wolf pup, who bounded over to her from beside the fire, "Let's see what your nose can find for us." Kattan yipped happily, and followed Sakura back towards the fishing village.

* * *

The sun was just climbing out of the ocean as Sakura wandered through the village streets. It was still early, but vendors and villagers were already gathering and preparing for the day all along the small Market area. The street faced the open ocean, with only a small pebbly beach separating the merchant's stalls from the gently cresting waves. The ocean was calm and soothing, affecting the mood of the entire village.

It was picturesque, and Sakura took her time and savored the tranquility as she scoured the vendors for tea and food. Most of the stalls were selling fresh fish, seaweed and other seafood, but eventually, Sakura came across a spice shop, which sold tea as well. With Itachi's request out of the way, and plenty of money left over, she turned her attention to her growing hunger.

"Let's find some soup or onigiri, Ka-chan," Sakura said as she sniffed the air. Kattan mimicked the motion, and took off with a bark. Sakura followed excitedly, and Kattan led her to a small café style restaurant, with a full menu.

"Good job, Ka-chan," Sakura exclaimed and patted the black puppy on her fuzzy head. She scanned the menu, and decided that she probably ought to bring something back for Itachi and Kisame, just to help stay on their good side. The waitress at the front took Sakura's order, and it didn't take long for her to return with the bags of food. With her takeout in tow, Sakura strolled casually back through the streets of the quiet little village.

Sakura was admiring some cute trinkets in the window of a gift shop when a lewd whistle behind her caught her attention. She rolled her eyes and ignored the man. She didn't expect to find that kind of person in such a quaint little village, but she'd dealt with worse.

"Well, aren't you a sexy little thing," the man approached her. His voice made Sakura drop her food in terror. It was _him_. The mercenary. She hadn't seen him, but his voice was unmistakable. She would never forget that voice for as long as she lived.

The sounds of the villagers faded away. Even the ocean seemed to stop swaying as his approaching footsteps echoed loudly in Sakura's skull, drowning out even the sound of her own pounding heart. Nausea washed over her, and her weaker personality threatened to black out from the sheer shock. The memories of her experience flooded her senses like waves in rhythm with the nausea, weakening her knees, but leaving her frozen in horror.

He walked up directly beside her, and Sakura could see his reflection in the window. He was tall, and rough looking. His head was bald, but it looked shaved. Scars adorned his face and arms, and his clothes reflected many years of wear and fighting. He looked every bit the part of a soldier for hire. He glanced at Sakura's reflection, and his eyes widened in shock suddenly. For an instant, his gaze locked onto Sakura's through the reflection. She caught a tiny glimpse of fear.

"Hey, you're- no way…" his momentarily wavering confidence fed Sakura's stronger persona, which latched onto his confusion like a starved leech and pulled itself to the surface. Sakura's expression flashed from terror, to sheer vicious excitement in an instant. She turned to him arrogantly, as Kattan snarled at the man from behind her feet.

"Fancy meeting you again," Sakura purred, her more sadistic side showing through her smiling teeth.

The mercenary had regained his composure, and stared down at her boldly. His tone was smug, "How the hell did you survive, girl?"

"You messed with the wrong missing-nin," Sakura sneered, and to her surprise, the mercenary suddenly turned tail and ran.

"_What the-?_" Sakura was confused, but followed him out of the village and into the surrounding coastal scrub. Kattan followed close behind, still growling as much as her panting would allow. Sakura wasn't stupid, and realized that he was likely trying to lead her into a trap, so she kept her wits about her. Sure enough, a simple crude trip wire appeared in the path ahead, and not much further, the mercenary had stopped running. He stood facing her, his posture relaxed and his gaze mocking.

"No more games," Sakura scowled and slammed her heel down on the rocky ground, splitting the earth in front of her asunder like an underground explosion, and setting off the traps well away from her. Across the destruction, the mercenary scrambled in terror for firm footing in the upturned landscape. In desperation, he began throwing knives and old rusty kunai at her. For effect, Sakura didn't even dodge them, she just batted them out of the air with her bare hands.

"What are you!?" he screamed at her, and began to run again. But Sakura wasn't about to let him get away. As she followed after him, Itachi materialized in front of her. She had felt him and Kisame coming, but ignored them. She was having too much fun at the traumatized mercenary's expense. Sakura opened the first chakra gate, slowed time and slipped past Itachi. Releasing the time jutsu, she pursued her prey.

She closed in on the mercenary, but Itachi came up behind her again. This time, he reached around her, and grabbed her wrists. Offended by his persistent interference, she turned on him, tearing her wrists from his grasp.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" she shrieked at Itachi, anger at the mercenary accidentally spilling over to him. She glared at him, no longer nervous or blushing as she met his gaze hatefully.

"_Does he think I can't handle that weakling!?_" she was tired of being underestimated. She was tired of being protected. She would handle this herself for once.

Itachi met her gaze coolly, and stood his ground against the raging kunoichi.

"We cannot collect a bounty without a body," he informed her and continued, "Also, it is only half price if he is dead."

Sakura's anger melted, "What…?"

"Kisame will drain his chakra, and we will turn him over alive," Itachi stepped around her, his arm brushing against her shoulder, "Unfortunately, you must relinquish your desire to beat him into oblivion."

"_He stopped me…_" Sakura turned around to where Kisame had pinned the mercenary to the ground with his foot, "_So I wouldn't kill him_?"

"What did you do to Hime-chan to make her want to tear you apart?" Kisame demanded between clenched teeth, dangling his sword, which seemed to be humming with joy, inches from the man's face. The mercenary whimpered, and Samehada's scales twitched as if in expectation.

They hadn't underestimated her. They weren't trying to protect her. They were protecting the bounty, because they had been certain she would kill him. Was it a sign of respect? Even if he was just a pushover, their confidence in her abilities was a little flattering. Sakura stood by in shock, and a growing sense of appreciation, as she watched Kisame drain the mercenary's chakra. After less than a minute, the man fell unconscious, and Kisame slung him roughly over his shoulder.

"The drop point is several days north, in Fire country," Itachi stated as he left Sakura's side and headed in the direction of the camp site, "No point in wasting time."

Kisame grunted in agreement as he followed Itachi. Sakura allowed a small smile to slowly creep over her lips as she scooped up Kattan and followed Itachi as well.

* * *

They hadn't lingered long in Tea Country, and after quickly packing up their small camp site, the three missing-nin headed into the southern region of Fire Country. The travel slowed down, back to the more casual walking pace Sakura had first experienced with the Akatsuki, but her eagerness to reach Konoha and check on her mother left her wanting for a faster pace.

The travel was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Even though no one had spoken since they had captured the bounty, Sakura wasn't feeling nervous like she had before. Itachi wasn't acting strangely after all, Sakura had concluded, and wrote off the entire situation in Koueki as a bizarre accident. Now, it was just business as usual for a group of S-class missing-nin off to collect a bounty.

Just as Itachi had said, the exchange point was only a few days north. As their latitude changed, so did the scenery and climate. The rocky coast was quickly replaced by more familiar thick green forest, and while the weather remained wet, it became colder. Not long after they crossed the border between Tea and Fire, a small abandoned farm with a crumbling grain silo came into view through the dense forest.

"I'm going to wait out here," Sakura stopped walking while Itachi and Kisame continued into the clearing. She sat Kattan on the ground and rummaged through her bag for a snack.

Itachi nodded for Kisame to go inside and collect the bounty. Once Kisame had reached the door, an older looking man wearing a stained and worn white medic coat ushered him inside. Itachi turned back to Sakura and positioned himself directly in front of her. Sakura fumbled with the wrapper on her rations, and stared at Itachi's feet, the awkwardness threatening to return.

"So…Why didn't you go in?" she asked, more to break the silence than anything else.

"I wished to ask you that same question," he answered levelly. Sakura hesitated.

"I-I just don't want another incident like that guy in Koueki," she couldn't believe that she was still having trouble talking to him. She wasn't a silly little girl anymore, so how did he manage to make her feel like one?

"He was under the impression that you were dead, why is that?"

Realization finally dawned on Sakura. Itachi and Kisame had no idea why she wasn't still in Konoha. They had no way of knowing what had happened. They didn't realize that she was a missing-nin. Surely Itachi, if he was half as intelligent as his reputation implied, had pieced some things together by now, and had a pretty good idea of what her situation was, but it seemed like he still wanted to hear it from her.

"I was being careless," Sakura hated to admit to herself, and to him, that letting herself be seen in public was a mistake, "I need to keep a lower profile from now on." Pink haired green eyed petite medic-nin weren't exactly common place.

Itachi quietly stood by and waited for her to elaborate. She looked at the ground, at his feet, at her own feet, anything other than his face, his lips, his eyes-

"Everyone thinks I'm dead," Sakura finally blurted out to distract herself from her own thoughts, "…because the Elders wanted me dead, and I had to fake my own death to escape."

Itachi hadn't moved, and he remained silent.

In her nervousness, Sakura began to ramble, "I didn't do anything! It was just a _stupid_ misunderstanding over some _stupid_ notes and some _stupid_ person compared me to Orochimaru and I'm _nothing_ like him but they _still_ wanted to execute me and I wasn't about to just go skipping happily to my death when I hadn't even done anything wrong- I'm not evil!"

Itachi finally nodded, "The scrolls-"

"They're useless!" she jumped in before he could finish. Sakura wasn't sure sharing the jutsu with Akatsuki was a good idea, "I only care on a sentimental family heirloom level, they don't even work…really!"

She didn't sound very convincing to herself, but Itachi seemed satisfied, because when Kisame emerged from the grain silo with a small burlap sack of money on his shoulder instead of the mercenary, he turned to address him.

"It went smoothly?" Itachi asked as Kisame held up the money with a grin.

"It's all there, mission complete!"

"So… we can go to Konoha now?" Sakura asked tentatively, her concern for her mother only barely overcoming her inner voice screaming at the lunacy of the decision to take two enemy Shinobi into a village whose leaders wanted her dead.

"Yes," Itachi answered, "Though only the two of us will enter Konoha. We will meet Kisame west of the village once your curiosity has been satisfied."

Sakura nodded. The plan was logical, less people are harder to find. Also, she considered leaving out Kisame was a gesture to reassure her that the Akatsuki had no business with Konoha themselves, yet. Still, she didn't look forward to the idea of spending quality time alone with Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

They continued north as a group well into the next day. When they were less than a day outside of Konoha, Kisame split off and headed west, with Kattan in tow. Sakura had been reluctant to leave the puppy in his care for so long, but Kattan would be safer with him, since she and Itachi were more likely to run into ANBU and have to fight their way out.

Itachi's pace quickened suddenly, and Sakura was forced to open the first chakra gate to keep up. Sakura presumed, as a former captain of ANBU, that Itachi was very familiar with their movements and habits, and that the faster pace was meant to help them avoid a patrol. Even as the stinging misty rain changed to a torrential downpour, they leapt through the canopy as if they were being chased.

Only minutes outside of Konoha, Itachi finally came to a halt and dropped to the ground. He formed a hand seal too quickly for Sakura to make it out entirely, and a nearby Genjutsu dissipated, revealing an old but fortified looking door in the ground. Itachi gently pushed the surrounding brush aside and injected some chakra into the door. It opened with a groan, revealing an underground passageway.

Sakura just stood by and watched with wide eyed fascination, partially relieved that it would be that easy for them, but also a little horrified that an S-class missing-nin had his own secret passageway into Konoha. Itachi climbed into the narrow doorway, and Sakura slipped in behind him, grateful to be out of the pouring rain.

The entrance was narrow, but the passageway itself opened up enough to make standing comfortable. The door closed automatically, and the Genjutsu reactivated as the pair made their way down the passage. Itachi walked with the same confidence he had in daylight, but Sakura couldn't see anything in the solid darkness. Averse to reaching out a hand to feel along the wall in case she disturb any of the less savory occupants of the underground passage, she clutched firmly at the back of Itachi's cloak, and hoped he didn't notice.

After a long and disorienting walk through the winding passageway, Itachi finally stopped. Sakura could hear him making hand seals, and as she expected, another door opened. It was dry at the entrance, and Sakura hurriedly climbed out after Itachi. The door looked better maintained than the first, and it was sheltered by a small pagoda which also held an ornate shrine. The door closed, melting seamlessly back into the shrine pedestal.

Sakura didn't immediately recognize the surroundings, but a quick scan of the horizon reoriented her. They were inside Konoha, but on the far western edge of the village. The Hokages' Monument loomed in the north east through the thick curtain of rain.

"Where exactly are we?" Sakura asked. Itachi seemed to be waiting for her to take the lead at this point, but she still wasn't sure where to go next.

"The Uchiha Compound," he answered flatly as he stared at the rain.

"_That would explain why I don't recognize it_," Sakura mused. The passageway must have been built by and for the Uchiha Clan exclusively, probably for evacuation in an emergency. Konoha likely didn't even know it existed. She offhandedly wondered if Sasuke knew about it too, but brushed the thought aside as Itachi shuffled impatiently.

"Do what you came here for," he said, and Sakura wondered if he noticed his own anxious behavior.

Sakura steadied herself, and with an edgy sigh, she stepped out into the rain.

* * *

Itachi was having an easier time of sneaking unnoticed through the streets than her, in spite of his arguably louder and more noticeable Akatsuki cloak. Several times, Sakura had resorted to her time jutsu to avoid being seen, but they were making good progress to Sakura's house. Nostalgia washed over her, and a growing lump in her throat threatened an emotional breakdown should Sakura run across anyone she recognized. Thankfully, the streets were largely vacant due to the adverse weather, and the few faces she had seen were strangers.

It was nearing evening, and the cloudy sky washed out the sunlight completely when Sakura finally rounded an alley corner across the street from her mother's home. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw a large red 'Lease' sign in the front window.

"…_She moved_," Sakura reasoned with herself, "_To somewhere smaller, somewhere with less…memories_." But it was too late, she had already begun shaking. Itachi remained respectfully silent in the alley behind her as Sakura's mind dug through the possibilities in search of the next course of action. It was the last place in the world she wanted to go, but it was the only place that would offer certain answers.

"Let's go to the cemetery," she whispered, her voice shaking as much as her body. Itachi only nodded.

Sakura wanted to rush to the cemetery, to find her family's plot clear of any new graves, but her shaking body refused to cooperate. She stumbled through the alleys, barely avoiding detection, while the growing lump in her throat cut off her breathing. When the gates of the cemetery finally came into view, Sakura broke out into a run, her body finally acknowledging what her mind had been screaming. She stumbled and slid across the muddy field, and the Haruno Clan monuments came into view.

Sakura slipped, and fell to her knees. Unable to contain herself, she cried and sobbed out her pent up emotions. Through her tears, she smiled. There were no new graves. Her mother was fine.

She felt Itachi walk up behind her, and she hurriedly wiped away her tears with the rain soaked sleeve of her cloak before turning around to reassure him.

"It's okay," she took a deep breath, "We can go now."

She couldn't see his expression in the low light with his hat covering most of his face, but for some reason, she felt like he had smiled with her.

"Itachi-san… thank you," her smile broadened, and her eyes shone with relief. He turned away abruptly, and headed silently back to the cemetery entrance. Sakura squeezed her mud and rain soaked clothes out a little, and followed him out.

Near the gate, Sakura caught a glimpse of something unnerving through the pale screen of rain. Across the clearing, near the edge of the cemetery, were two small piles of upturned dirt. Sakura's feet carried her over to the graves, curious more than worried. She had never been in this area before, but the monuments bore familiar names. It was Tsunade-sama's family memorial site, but Sakura didn't think the Hokage had any living relatives left. Who could have died?

"Sakura," Itachi called out softly. He stood at the entrance, his head cocked to the side slightly as if perplexed or impatient. She glanced back at him, but her feet refused to do anything other than carry her forward.

"There is an approaching patrol," he called out again. Sakura didn't mean to ignore him, but she couldn't leave just yet.

She knelt down beside the small monuments, and brushed the splattered mud off of the engraved name. Sakura's breath caught in her throat. She was kneeling next to her own grave. She sunk the rest of the way to the ground, the strength stolen from her legs. Tears threatened to spill out of her tired eyes again as she reached a trembling hand out to the other slab of cold granite.

"_No, no, it isn't true_," she barely managed to think as the mud smeared across the stone and onto her fingers. Slowly, she revealed her mother's name. Her world spun. Sakura was taken by vertigo as her earlier relief was replaced with numb disbelief. Her mother _was_ dead. She couldn't breathe. She didn't want to breathe. She didn't want to feel anymore.

Itachi walked quickly over and knelt behind her.

"We have to go, now," he whispered but his voice held a tinge of urgency. Sakura didn't answer. How could she? She wasn't breathing. She just stared. The will to live slowly slipped from her as she stared at her mother's grave. Above them, a storm gathered.

"Sakura," Itachi reached his arms around her, and tried to pick her up. She went limp, and he finally realized that she wasn't breathing.

"Sakura, breathe," he lifted her to her feet and began to pull her away from the graves. Lightning raced across the sky, followed immediately by a crash of thunder so close it seemed to vibrate the ground. Sakura suddenly came to life.

"NO!" she screamed with the breath she had been holding, and threw herself back onto the muddy ground. With a new found half crazed ferocity she clawed at the loose mounds of wet dirt, splashing herself in the face with her effort.

"Sakura!" Itachi's tone was desperate, more pleading, and the uncharacteristic sound in his voice shocked her out of her mania. She hunched over the graves on all fours, panting between choked sobs. After a few tense seconds, Itachi knelt down and tried to pick her up again, and this time, Sakura allowed herself to be carried away.

* * *

A/N: Sad chapter, sorry. But a long one, and some good moments. Next I'll likely update 'Hesitation', but it shouldn't be much more than two weeks before I update here again. Thanks so much for the reviews and faves! I love getting feedback, especially criticism, since it helps me become a better writer, so don't be afraid to let me know if something sucks, okay?


	5. Smile

**Soutou "Struggle"**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Smile**

**Struggle - a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve.**

* * *

_Her cheeks were wet with tears. Her heart burned, but she was cold._

_Sasuke?_

_His retreating back, his voice at her ear. _

"_Thank you." For what?_

_Why was it so cold?_

_Where was he? Where was Sasuke?_

_It's so cold._

_Unyielding stone pressed against her side and head._

_A voice. Was it Sasuke?_

"_Sakura…"_

_Sasuke?!_

"… _you'll catch a cold…"_

_No, it wasn't Sasuke. Where was he? _

"_Who is it?"_

"_Sakura." _

_A familiar voice. Who's?_

"…_Wake up."_

_"....?"  
_

"…_Itachi?"_

_

* * *

_

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. It was dark, but a glowing fire cast an orange hue over the shallow cave's rough stone walls. She was laying sprawled out over the ground, and a dark figure silhouetted by the fire knelt over her. Some memory returned with her senses.

"Itachi?"

"Get back on the mat, before you get sick from the cold," he ordered, and grabbed her shoulders to pull her into a sitting position.

Sakura slouched over, then crawled groggily back over to the unrolled mat that was just to her left. She must have rolled off of it while she was dreaming. Itachi handed her a blanket.

"What happened?" she asked before wrapping the thin material around herself and laying down.

"You blacked out. We are taking shelter while we wait for the storm to pass," he answered.

Itachi turned his attention back to the small fire, and prodded it with a stick. A log crumbled, throwing tiny red sparks into the air. Past the fire, Sakura could see the small cave's entrance. Outside, it was sleeting heavily, and even the fire couldn't fight off the icy cold that crept in along the floor of the cave. Sakura shivered.

"You would be warmer if you had kept dry," Itachi deadpanned without turning from the fire.

Sure enough, Sakura's soaking wet clothes were almost as cold as the cave floor, and they were making her sleeping mat wet, and cold. Cold. Sakura shivered.

Itachi turned from the fire suddenly, and grabbed Sakura's foot.

"W-what are you doing!?" Sakura exclaimed and kicked a little, but Itachi held on stubbornly. He unlaced her boot, pulled it off, yanked off her sock, and placed both next to the fire.

As he grabbed her other foot, he finally answered, "You will stay warmer, and your clothes will dry faster this way."

He pulled off her other boot.

"Oh..."

He placed it next to the fire.

"Uh…Itachi-san?"

He peeled off her sock.

"Hn."

He placed it next the fire.

"…I can undress myself…"

Silence fell, and Itachi suddenly turned back to the fire. Barefooted Sakura blinked in confusion, but soon continued to remove her outer layers of clothing. When she had stripped down to her chest bindings and underwear, she wrapped the thread bare blanket around herself. As it would turn out, even wet clothes keep out cold wet air better than none at all. Sakura shivered.

Reluctantly, she padded over to the fire to lay her clothes out next to it. Itachi didn't move or blink as he stared at the fire while Sakura worked. When she finished, she sat down next to the fire, but several feet from Itachi.

"You know," Sakura stated jokingly while Itachi stared, seemingly entranced by the fire, "staring at the fire like that can damage your vision."

He didn't answer, or move, but Sakura was studying his face, and she saw one eyebrow and the corner of his mouth rise ever so slightly.

The storm picked up outside, pushing a cold blast of wind into the small cave suddenly. The fire flickered in protest, and Sakura pulled the blanket tighter, but the cold still stung her skin. The wind died down as quickly as it came, but it had taken with it what little bit of warmth Sakura had managed to accumulate.

Sakura noticed a flurry of movement to her right, and jumped a little, before she had a chance to realize that it was just Itachi. He had removed his cloak, and was holding it out to her, though his gaze was still trained straight ahead. When she didn't take it right away, he turned slowly to meet her confused eyes. He didn't look annoyed, just, expectant.

Hesitantly, Sakura took his cloak, and put it on. The Akatsuki cloak was thick and heavy, and the warmth it provided was instant. She pulled it up to cover her face a little, and breathed in for a deep contented sigh. It smelled like Itachi. The scent was strong and earthy, but clean, and a little-

"_No! No way, not thinking stuff like that! ... especially as I sit here scantily clad and wrapped in his cloak... argh!" _

Sakura shook her head, and quickly changed the subject, "Where are we, exactly?"

"Not very far west of Konoha. The storm prevented us from going any farther."

Sakura fiddled with the edge of the Akatsuki cloak, "…did I get us seen? Because I know I wasn't being… a good Shinobi, and…"

"We are not being followed."

"That's good… but… were we _seen_?"

Itachi let the silence hang for far longer than Sakura was comfortable with. Finally he answered, "Yes."

Sakura was jolted with fear, "What!? Who?!"

"An ANBU patrol-"

"Shit! Shit, that's not good-"

"Led by a young woman," Itachi held up a hand to silence Sakura's panic, "Who seemed to recognize you, and ordered that we be left alone. There was no conflict."

"A young woman?" Sakura paused, and relief slowly washed over her, "I think I know that squad. I worked with them some. Their captain was a little nice to me… If I ever see her again, I'll have to thank her. For everything."

The two Shinobi were quiet again, only the sounds of the raging storm and the crackling fire filled the cave.

"Itachi-san?" Sakura's whisper broke the silence.

"Hn."

"Thank you. I need to thank you too," Sakura stared at her feet poking out past the edge of the robe, unsure why she felt the need to thank him. No, she knew, she just didn't know if he deserved it.

He was nice…sometimes. And he helped her. But he had also kidnapped her, with the intent of using her for ransom. Right? And he threatened to kill people. Innocent people.

He was a member of the Akatsuki, one of those dirty, bloody, people who hung out in caves and murdered children. Right?

But here they were, in a cave alright, but taking shelter from a storm. And there were no murdered children. No bloody mess. And his cloak even smelled clean.

Where was the Itachi of nightmares? The one who had murdered his clan in cold blood. Who was the man sitting across the fire from her? The one who had lent his cloak to her.

Was this the real Itachi?

"For what?" he asked in his deep detached monotone.

"For…" Sakura hesitated, then decided that it could be in her best interest to be humble, "For not leaving me behind, for not loosing your patience when… well, for lots of things…"

Sakura tried to force the emotions back down, but the memory had been set free. While she didn't make a sound, the hot tears fell freely down her cheeks. She tried to contain herself. She didn't have time to mourn her mother right now. Would she ever have time to mourn?

"Cry," Itachi stated suddenly, "There is no reason not to right now."

Sakura shook her head furiously, but she couldn't find the strength to form words of protest. When she tried to force a breath out, she sobbed instead. Her grip on her composure was slipping.

Itachi moved over until he was sitting next to her, their arms nearly touching. Sakura curled up a little, trying to hide inside the cloak.

"Cry, Sakura," he whispered, more gently than she had ever heard before, "It doesn't make you weak, it just makes you human."

* * *

"_No one can completely detach themselves from their humanity," Kakashi was speaking gently, "We aren't really expected to, even as Shinobi. As long as we don't let it interfere with our jobs, it's okay to still be… human."_

_

* * *

_

Sakura sobbed again, and she reached out of the cloak and latched onto Itachi's arm. As her grip on his sleeve tightened, her grip on her emotions weakened, until she was crying full force with her face buried against Itachi's shoulder.

He didn't move, he didn't complain. He just sat quietly as Sakura leaned against him and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_It was cold, wasn't it? It was supposed to be cold. Why is it warm?_

_I'm not scared. Wasn't I supposed to be crying? Why do I feel safe?_

_Where am I?_

"_Sakura?"_

_Who's there? Sasuke? No._

_Itachi!_

"_Sakura?"_

_No, not him either. A woman's voice._

"_Sakura?"_

…_Mother?_

"_I just want you to know," her mother turned from the stove to face Sakura and her tone became more serious, "That I love you, and I support you. …I want you to know, that we'll be fine without them. They can't really hurt us, as long as we stick together."_

_Mother!_

"_Smile, my Sakura-chan."_

_

* * *

  
_

Sakura woke up gently, and lazily. She snuggled down, reluctant to fully open her eyes and become one step closer to having to leave her comfortable little cocoon. The thing she was snuggled up to moved. Sakura was suddenly wide awake.

"Itachi!?" she gasped, but he didn't react beyond shifting his gaze from the ceiling to her face. He was lying on his back on the mat, and Sakura was curled up against his side, just as she had been when they were sitting up.

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered sheepishly as she scooted away to check on her clothes. They were dry, and Sakura hurriedly got dressed under the Akatsuki cloak.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Itachi insisted from his spot on the mat.

Once clothed, Sakura handed the cloak back to Itachi, and put on her own, significantly lighter and colder rain cloak instead.

"The storm has passed," Itachi informed her, "though it is still cold and raining."

"It's okay," Sakura assured him, "I can handle the weather if _you_ can."

"That was not my implication," he corrected as he sat up.

"I was just making fun of you, stupid," Sakura felt like teasing him to lighten the mood, but he wasn't reacting enough to keep it fun, so she gave up with a sigh, "Let's get going."

Itachi nodded, and began to pack their supplies. Sakura watched him out of the corner of her eye as she gathered her things and put the fire out. It didn't take her long to get lost in her thoughts.

She had been planning on leaving him behind, but because her emotions got the better of her, she had lost an opportune moment with the ANBU. Not that it seemed to matter. If she left now, she would be forced to leave Kattan with Kisame. How much of his 'good guy' behavior was genuine? Did he really like Kattan enough to take care of her? But something else about the idea made Sakura reluctant, almost as if she didn't _want_ to leave anymore. But wouldn't that put Naruto in danger?

Maybe not. Maybe she could use the situation to Konoha's advantage if she played her cards right. She could become an informant. She could discover information about Akatsuki that could help Konoha defeat them in the future. No more Akatsuki, no more threat to her friends and village.

It made sense, even though she didn't have the details worked out yet, to stay with Itachi and Kisame, and keep her eyes and ears open. What better way to take down such a powerful criminal organization than from the inside?

Logic. It made everything better. It made it easier for Sakura to ignore the fact that she just didn't _want_ to leave Itachi for some reason. She could ignore that she felt happy around him. She could ignore that she felt a little respected around him. She could ignore the growing feeling that she might enjoy being an S-class missing-nin more than she had enjoyed being a Konoha Shinobi.

"You think too much," Itachi suddenly interrupted her thoughts, startling her enough to make her drop her bag.

"Sonofa**bitch**! Don't do that!" she scolded him and reached down to retrieve her things before scurrying towards the exit.

On her heels, Itachi whispered angrily, "I would appreciate you not insulting my father like that ever again."

Sakura came to a screeching halt at the mouth of the cave. Slowly, she turned to face him. Standing directly behind her, he was wearing the closest thing to an amused smirk Sakura had ever seen him make. She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Did Uchiha Itachi just make… a joke?" she asked with a huff, "And a bad one, too, I might add. I'm not sure I can bring myself to laugh at that."

Itachi simply stepped neatly around her and headed into the forest. As she followed behind him in the slow icy rain, she stared at his back, trying to decipher his uncharacteristic behavior.

"_Was he trying to cheer me up_?" she wondered, "_Is he making… an _effort?"

Maybe he really was able to be nice… sometimes. Maybe he really did care… just a little. It should have been an insignificant gesture, but for the first time since she had left Konoha, Sakura genuinely smiled.

* * *

The storm may have passed, but the rain was constant and freezing. Sakura wondered how much more inclement weather she was going to be forced to endure, as she trudged along the muddy ground behind Itachi. She stayed close to him, and used him as a shield against the wind, a use he didn't seem to mind.

Less than half a day west, Sakura and Itachi finally met up with Kisame and Kattan. The little black wolf pup let out a howl of joy before they even came into view. She took off running, and leapt into Sakura's outstretched arms.

"Ka-chan! I missed you so much!" she tickled Kattan's fuzzy belly while the puppy rolled around in her arms snorting with joy. She was just as chubby and fluffy as when Sakura had left her with Kisame. She wasn't even wet. The shark man had taken good care of her after all.

"Glad to see you in such a cheerful mood, Hime-chan," Kisame strolled over and patted Sakura on the head, "Everything went well, then?"

Sakura ducked down and batted his hand away playfully.

"No," Itachi walked over to the group, "Her fears were confirmed."

Sakura's face fell a little, and Kisame looked down at her with a frown, "You gonna be okay, Hime-chan?"

"Yea!" Sakura nodded quickly, then took a deep breath, "Yes, I'm alright. I had a weird dream, sort of helped make me feel better, if that makes any sense."

"That's good," Kisame nodded slightly and his frown vanished, "So! Where to now?"

"Now we wait," Itachi stated, "Our next mission will be in Wind Country, so we will continue west and wait along the border until we receive more specific instructions."

"Maybe we can stop by the base," Kisame suggested, "Get Hime-chan a real cloak to keep the weather out."

Itachi nodded, and turned to Sakura to see if she accepted the idea.

"I- uh," she dug the toe of her boot into the soft ground, and didn't meet their gaze.

"_A cloak? An Akatsuki cloak? Well, they are warm…"_ she was torn, though her reservations were admittedly trivial. Who cared anymore, if she was associated with them? Wasn't that part of the plan now anyway?

"Sure!" Sakura finally answered with a grin, "I really appreciate you thinking of me like that."

"No biggie," Kisame reached out to tussle her hair again, and grudgingly she let him get it out of his system, "Anything for my Hime-chan!"

"_Smile, my Sakura-chan."_

And the tears were falling before she had even strung the thought together. They slid down her cheeks and mingled with the cold rain, burning her eyes as she began to silently cry.

"What happened!?" Kisame bent down to her level, his face twisted in a mix of confusion and concern, "Did I say something?"

Itachi shook his head, but remained silent as Sakura tried to recompose herself.

"No! No, I'm okay, you didn't do anything. I'm okay," she reassured Kisame and wiped the last of the tears away.

To prove her point, she smiled gently, then with more confidence. After a few minutes of silence, the two men finally seemed convinced that Sakura was calmer.

"Come on," she gestured for them to follow her, "Let's get out of this rain."

* * *

Just as night began to fall, a tiny remote village came into view exactly where Sakura remembered it should be. Itachi and Kisame agreed to stay at the Inn that night, since the villagers were unlikely to recognize any of them. Most of the villagers were at home in bed or at the bar by the time the group of three missing-nin entered the empty Inn.

The old blind man at the desk happily handed over the key to the only room with two beds. Finally out of the rain and not in a cave, Sakura happily unpacked and gathered a change of clothes for a shower while Kisame hit the bar and Itachi settled in at the desk with some tea and his kanji scrolls. Kattan took advantage of the empty beds and curled up into a cuddly puppy knot right in the middle of the one nearest the radiator. Within seconds she was snoring softly.

The small communal bathroom which served the entire Inn didn't have a tub, but the hot shower was just as welcome. Sakura combed through her long pink hair, and pondered over something her mind had been neglecting for quite a while. Her scrolls.

She had managed to unlock and master the time scroll's first jutsu, and she only needed to master opening the second chakra gate to ensure that she would have enough chakra to activate the time freezing jutsu, instead of just the time slowing jutsu. Other than the chakra difference, the two jutsu were identical, so she considered herself more than ready to take on the next scroll. The life scroll.

Like the time scroll, it contained two jutsu, but they relied on an entirely different understanding of the chakra pathway system. Based on what she had read, Sakura knew that she would have to master the third chakra gate before she would be able to work on the life scroll's jutsu. But if she could master it, then she would have the power to restore or remove someone's life force without even touching them. In theory, anyway.

Sakura was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on the bathroom door, "Sakura, you are not the only person who appreciates showers."

"Sorry, I'll be right out!" she turned off the water, got dressed, and with her towel wrapped around her hair, left the bathroom to Itachi. He went in immediately, and within seconds she heard the water running again.

Since he was occupied and Kisame was still gone, Sakura took the opportunity to reread the life scroll she had copied down as she toweled out her hair.

"_Like a flowing river, the chakra system can be viewed as an outward flow from a single source. But like a river, it can also be viewed as a part of a larger self contained cycle that connects endlessly to all other chakra sources in existence. By this principle, we can all affect one another through our chakra. With good intentions, redirecting our own chakra into another's can be healing, and can even restart a stagnant chakra flow, returning a fallen comrade to life. On the same note however, chakra can also be stolen from a person if intentions are harmful, resulting in the victim's death_."

To be able to affect another person's, especially another Shinobi's, chakra enough to control their life force would take incredibly potent chakra. The gentle fist, if Sakura remembered correctly, worked like that on a small scale, disrupting the flow by damaging small areas of the chakra pathways until the opponent could no longer use any jutsu. But the life scroll said nothing about damaging the pathways, only manipulating the chakra itself, as a whole. Was it even possible?

"_Only one way to find out_," Sakura concluded, and decided to start small. She remembered healing a fish as one of her first exercises while training under Tsunade. While her first fish patient wasn't completely dead yet, a dead fish from the market would be a great way to test the life jutsu. If she could heal and revive a long dead fish, it was a leap, but it meant it was possible to revive a dead person. It was worth a try.

Just as Sakura was rolling the scrolls up, Itachi walked in from the bathroom. He was fully clothed, but his hair was still damp and hung loosely around his shoulders.

"_Damn pretty boys and their damn pretty hair! Where does he get off having such pretty hair_!" Sakura thought angrily as she watched him walk back over to the desk. He turned to her suddenly, as if she had been thinking aloud.

"How was your shower?" Sakura perked up immediately to distract him from the realization that she had been staring.

"_Yeah, small talk, good idea_," she reassured herself.

"It would have been better if the hot water hadn't run out," he deadpanned as he pulled out the chair and took a seat.

"Oh… sorry," Sakura apologized. She _had_ been in the shower for quite a while.

"You think too much."

Sakura snorted at Itachi's matter of fact statement, and while he was facing away from her, she pouted at the back of his head.

"Yeah…well, you…_ talk_ too much!"

Seemingly immersed in his tea and scrolls, Itachi ignored Sakura's sarcastic outburst, while she flopped down on the bed loudly.

"_Two can play the 'I'm not paying any attention to you game' you ass_," Sakura mouthed at the ceiling. After several hours, of listening to nothing but the gentle swish of brush against paper and the occasional clank of ceramic against wood, Sakura willingly succumbed to sleep.

* * *

A strange sound woke Sakura from her deep dreamless slumber. Groggily, she lifted her head and scanned the dimly lit hotel room. In the other bed lay Kisame, sprawled out on his back and snoring. Curled up asleep on his stomach, Kattan rose and fell with his every breath. Her little puppy snores were almost a loud as his.

"_I'm starting to think you like him better than me," _Sakura thought as she watched them sleep, _"Not that I blame you. He did buy you that ball."_

She sat up, and looked at the clock on the bed side table. It was only six o'clock, but Sakura was fairly sure she wouldn't be getting back to sleep with Kisame's racket. At the desk… Itachi was gone.

She scanned the area for his chakra, and found him not far outside of town, doing… something, but Sakura couldn't tell what.

"_Maybe training? Whatever. Better to leave him to his own devices,"_ Sakura concluded as she pulled on her boots and rain cloak. While Itachi was busy and Kisame was asleep, she could work on her jutsu in relative privacy. But first, she needed to buy a fish.

Even with the weather, the small street of food vendors was full of villagers. Sakura blended right in, and with her hood up to keep her head dry, she felt comfortable with the level of anonymity she had achieved. She remembered passing a large deep stream, nearly large enough to be a river in its own right, on the way into town. Where there was water, there were fish, and where there were fish, there were fish vendors.

Sure enough, towards the far end of the market street, Sakura found a small modest vendor selling fresh water fish. Sakura counted her change, and with all of it, she could still only afford the smallest saddest looking little fish she had ever seen for sale. No matter, it wasn't like she was going to eat him.

With her tiny newspaper wrapped patient, Sakura jogged over to the nearest bank of the stream just outside of the village. Itachi was still distracted on the far side of the village, and Kisame was still asleep, so Sakura immediately set to work. She unwrapped the fish, and laid it near the bank so she could let it go in the water if the jutsu worked.

First, she needed to heal the fish. That was something she could do without opening the gates, so she set to work, and within minutes, the dead fish was in perfect condition again. But still dead.

Next, she needed to try to open the third gate. She remembered what Lee had written in his book, and focused on the gate at the top of her spine. The first gate opened without difficulty, and the second, while harder, only took a few seconds as well. The third, was another story.

Immediately after she felt the gate snap open, she lost control. Waves of chakra whipped around her like possessed vines. The pain was unbearable. In a panic, she shut the gate, and set to work soothing the searing flames that raced through her body.

When she was healed, she tried again, but she was more prepared. Before Sakura even opened the gate, she set to work healing the damage she knew was coming, and the preparation paid off, a little. After a few minutes, she lost control again, as the huge volume of chakra poured over her at a rate she had never experienced before.

"_One more time_," Sakura assured herself once the pain had subsided, "_Don't give up!_"

Again, she prepared to heal the damage. But this time, she prepared to perform the jutsu as well. She placed her hands on the fish, since she wasn't ready to try the jutsu without contact yet.

Sakura opened the first and second gates, and using the free chakra, she healed herself as the third gate opened. This time, there was no outward change, and Sakura sat touching the fish with the same calmness she had before the gate even opened. The chakra from the third gate constantly threatened to burst free and over take her again, but she held it at bay for just long enough to perform the jutsu.

She probed the fish's chakra pathways, and found the gate of death. All she had to do was pump enough chakra in from that point to restart the chakra flow. Too little and she would have to try again. Too much, and she would destroy the chakra pathways, or even explode the poor dead fish.

She removed one hand, and formed the seals.

"_Ninpou, Ikikaeru no Jutsu_."

While chakra began to be pulled out of her hand by the jutsu, she replaced her other hand to verify whether or not she needed more. Nothing seemed to be happening at first, so Sakura began to manipulate her chakra levels. She pushed more chakra into the fish, imitating her chakra's natural pulse, but being careful not to let any escape, and to not damage the fish.

Suddenly, the fish sprang to life, and startled her out of her concentration. Sakura grabbed the fish with a squeal and tossed it into the water.

Then she just stared. Mouth gaping like the little fish she had just revived.

It worked. The life jutsu worked.

"…_shit,"_ Sakura looked down at her hands in bewilderment, _"I would have been frustrated if it was harder, but… I really wasn't expecting to accomplish anything today. I really didn't think I'd be able to do it. I really didn't think… I'd ever do it. Shit. What now!?"_

"Sakura."

"EH!?" Sakura bolted to her feet and spun around to meet Itachi's impassive gaze.

"What were you doing?"

"Oh! Just… training," she admitted, but didn't elaborate.

Itachi didn't press either, "I received a communication regarding the new mission. Come."

Curious, Sakura willingly followed him back to the Inn.

* * *

When they got back to the room, Sakura immediately noticed Kisame sitting hunched over at the foot of his bed. He was clutching his head and groaning.

"Hangover?" Sakura teased as she poked him roughly in the head.

"Ouch! Hime-chan, you're mean," he grumbled, then started groaning again.

"Oh, stop it, baby," Sakura grabbed his head, and her hands began to glow. Within seconds, Kisame stopped groaning.

He looked up in surprise, "Hey! I feel like a million bucks! Thanks Hime-chan."

"Yeah, yeah. Now go drink some water or your headache will just come back, your still dehydrated," Sakura instructed and took a seat at the foot of her bed. Kisame did as he was told and headed for the bathroom.

Kattan jumped up into Sakura's lap and insisted on being petted. While she rubbed Kattan's head, she met Itachi's gaze.

He was sitting in the chair, but turned around to face the rest of the room. He sat upright, with his arms crossed and his legs crossed at the ankle. By all appearances he was waiting patiently for Kisame to come to his senses before he shared the mission details.

"Itachi!" Sakura exclaimed happily and he blinked a little at her exuberance, "Tell me another bad joke!"

"Hn."

"Please!"

Itachi signed in resignation, "I was just considering the possibility that Kisame is the reason the phrase 'to drink like a fish' was invented."

Sakura instantly burst out into peals of giggling, "That's actually funny!"

"Hn."

"You two aren't having a laugh at my expense?" Kisame accused as he reentered the room and took a seat on the other bed.

"No," Itachi lied straight faced, causing Sakura to break into laughter again. Kisame frowned, convinced he was the butt of the joke.

Itachi began once Sakura was done laughing, and the light mood drifted away a little, "Leader communicated with me directly this morning to give us more specific instructions regarding the beginning of the bijuu extractions. Preparations on his part will be done in less than a month, and we are to meet with Sasori at the extraction site to establish the roles he wishes us to fulfill as his backup. Likely, we will be serving to prevent any interference with the process once the Jinchuuriki has been captured."

"Which one are they going to capture?" Sakura asked, trying to sound just curious instead of nervous.

"_They aren't going after Naruto already_!?" her panic made her heart flip a little, but she remained outwardly detached.

"The one-tail," Itachi answered, "Shukaku."

"_Shukaku?_" Sakura had heard that name before, and it suddenly dawned on her, "_Shukaku! No! They're going after Gaara_!"

* * *

A/N: Yay! I updated! I should really have been doing concept art for a final project, but meh, I felt like writing instead. Itachi has a lame sense of humor, ne? I don't know about you guys, but I totally don't get his jokes at first! 0_o Life jutsu stuff, blady blah, and PLOT NO JUTSU! But you have to wait until next time to get to the actiony parts! Booo! As always, thanks so much for the feedback, and remember, reviews feed the Muse Monkey, who has the power to make me rearrange my priorities so fanfiction is on the top of the list. For example: "NO mom I don't want to open any presents right now! I have to finish this chapter so Muse Monkey will stop beating me over the head!" XD


	6. Shifting Perspectives

**Soutou "Struggle"**

**

* * *

Chapter Six: Shifting Perspectives**

**Struggle - ****a strenuous physical or mental effort, or something requiring this.**

**

* * *

  
**

Just when Sakura was beginning to think that the rain had let up for good, it started pouring again, with a vengeance. Several days into the missing-nins' westward journey, the light misty drizzle changed as suddenly as if they had walked into a waterfall. The drops were large and heavy, and they soaked through Sakura's rain cloak like it was made of cheese cloth. Sakura knew good and well that the rainy season was far from over, but she couldn't help but pray for a few sunny days. She was sick as hell of all the rain.

Up ahead of her, Itachi stopped and turned to look at her. He must have noticed her soggy disposition, because when she walked up to him, he lifted her hood a little to see her face. Sakura didn't bother hiding the grumpy pout she had been wearing since the rain had intensified.

"Don't worry, Hime-chan," Kisame had stopped as well, and Kattan poked her head out of the top of his cloak to look around, "We'll get you a proper cloak soon enough, right Itachi-san?"

Sakura wasn't sure if it was the reassurance, or the sight of Kattan's head sticking out next to Kisame's like some twisted, and adorable, Siamese twin, but her pout instantly vanished.

"Hn."

Itachi suddenly threw off his cloak, and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulders. Then, wordlessly, he plopped his hat on her head, and turned to continue walking.

"_Eh?_"

Sakura scurried to catch up and stepped in front of him so she could see his face, "But… now you'll just get wet too."

He looked his usual level of apathetic, but there was something about his… expression? Or maybe it was his stance? His aura? Something. Something was… off, about him.

"_Is he… blushing_?" Sakura cocked her head in confusion and tried to peer more closely at his cheeks, but he quickly stepped around her and resumed his pace through the curtains of rain.

"If you get any wetter," she heard him finally respond, though his back was still turned, "I fear that frown may become permanent."

Sakura snorted, "I'm not some fragile little flower, Itachi! I can handle a little rain!"

She crossed her arms stubbornly, but didn't make an attempt to give the cloak back, "Doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

"It isn't much farther, anyway," he retorted, "and we will not be in Ame long."

"We're just gonna drop off the bounty money, and get you some proper equipment," Kisame elaborated, "then it's off to the extraction site."

Sakura still wasn't sure exactly where they were going, but she could tell that since the money was headed there, it must be some major Akatsuki stronghold, or something. Was it in Amegakure, or just near it? Would she meet other members of Akatsuki there? She secretly hoped not. Would they have hot showers and cooked food? Hopefully so.

A more pressing matter, however, was what Sakura was going to do about Gaara. Itachi had briefly explained some information about the bijuu, but only because she kept harassing him for it, and even then he was irritatingly cryptic. All she had really gathered, was that the demon inside Gaara was going to be extracted somehow once he was kidnapped. Most disturbingly, the extraction would result in Gaara's death. Invariably, this meant that Sakura had to stop them. But how?

She was going to have to be sneaky. She was going to have to betray Itachi and Kisame's trust. She was going to get herself killed. What was she thinking, crossing an entire organization of S-class criminals? It was suicide.

"_No! I'm not going to be a coward now! I have to do __**something**__. What would Naruto think of me if I backed down now? What would mother think? I can do this, or by the gods, I can die trying_!"

But the question remained; do _what _exactly?

* * *

It seemed that the farther they went, the thicker the rain got. It began pouring so hard that Sakura had to keep Itachi and Kisame at arms length just to keep them in sight. Itachi was drenched, but he seemed indifferent to the rain, or just accepting of it. Sakura was grateful for the cloak and hat. They were keeping her surprisingly dry and warm, a realization that made her feel a little guilty for taking them from poor drowning Itachi. The weight of the falling water was enough to make just walking without chakra enhancement nearly impossible. No civilian could get through this rain. Even many Shinobi would have trouble.

But it wasn't a storm. There was no wind, no thunder. Just rain.

"_Like God's giant water faucet_," Sakura mused, and the image was enough to lighten her mood a bit.

Up ahead, Sakura saw a strange shimmering effect through the rain. It was like an iridescent curtain had been draped across the path. On the other side of it, the huge drooping trees of the forest surrounding them seemed taller, and more alert.

Kisame and Itachi kept walking as if they hadn't even seen it. Sakura kept up, and stayed between them, just in case.

When the group stepped through the veil, the rain instantly stopped. Itachi took the opportunity to retrieve his hat and cloak from Sakura, since she wouldn't need them anymore.

In front of them loomed a huge metal city surrounded by foreboding and impenetrable looking metal and stone walls. Shinobi patrolled the top of the wall and the gates. Sakura looked behind her, and saw the wall of rain they had left, towering above them and stretching out into the distance around the city like some supernatural infinite waterfall. The ceiling of clouds was low, and dark. It hovered above the city protectively, as if the sky alone could ward off ill intentioned visitors.

As they approached the gate, the patrolling Shinobi hardly seemed to notice them. A small door opened, and Itachi and Kisame stepped through without hesitation. Sakura slipped in behind them.

"Itachi-sama," the guard greeted, and then turned to Sakura, "He said you'd have someone with you."

"_What?_" Sakura faked a polite smile as best as she could.

He held out a hand to her, "Welcome to Amegakure."

"Oh," Sakura took his hand tentatively, "Uh, Thanks."

He shook her hand once, gave a brief nod, and then marched off to resume his duties.

"_Whoever 'He' is, he must not mind me being here_," Sakura realized.

She stayed close as Itachi and Kisame strolled through the streets, but slowly she was beginning to become more at ease with the foreign hidden village.

It was still raining a little, true to its name, but the rain was soft and misty, and it whispered down so gently it would almost evaporate before touching your skin. Sakura was sure it rained harder frequently, since the entire city seemed designed to handle large volumes of water. Central to the architecture of every one of the towering metal buildings were gutters and pipes to collect and redirect the rain. Along the street on either side were small cement canals with foot bridges across to the building entrances or merchant stalls that lined the walls under the eaves of the larger buildings.

The city was huge, but it was surprisingly vacant. They had been walking for quite a while, and Sakura had seen only a few dozen people. Most of them were Shinobi, though their hitai-ate had scratches over them. Occasionally, someone would smile or nod at Itachi or Kisame, and they would nod in return.

But one thing struck Sakura the most. Everyone she saw, Shinobi and civilian alike, were happy. Genuinely happy. They chatted, smiled, laughed, and just glowed with _something_ that was rare even in Konoha.

"_Here, in this rainy, dreary looking place? Here? Where Akatsuki has a hideout? I'd heard bad things about Ame. What's going on here?_" Sakura was confused, but the people's mood was so uplifting that she couldn't help but be swept away by it and found herself smiling in return when someone smiled at her.

A group of five children, most likely less than eight years old, dropped their toys suddenly and came running up to Kisame.

"Hey, mister…uh, sir!" a little girl pointed up at Kattan, who was poking her head out of Kisame's collar again, "Can we pet your puppy!?"

She barked in excitement.

"Gah! Not in my ear, Pup! Here," Kisame plopped Kattan down on the ground and tossed her red squeaky ball to the girl, "She likes this thing. Now go play."

"Thanks Mister… I mean, Sir!"

Sakura laughed as she watched the kids scurry around in front of them, throwing the ball back and forth while Kattan tried to catch it. When she did, she'd snort in joy and toss her head around, and the kids would squeal and chase her and try to get the ball back. The game followed them as they continued walking.

The sounds of children laughing, Kattan snorting, and the ball squeaking were odd accompaniments to the footsteps of S-class criminal missing-nin. But Sakura figured that here, the Akatsuki weren't considered criminals for some reason. Here, they seemed more like… heroes.

"_This is so weird_," Sakura thought with a smile. Weird. But nice.

"Those kids sure are lucky," Kisame observed. His expression held a hint of something Sakura had never seen before. Nostalgia… or regret?

"Why's that?" Sakura asked, still smiling.

He looked down at her, and flashed a toothy grin, "Because, they get to be kids."

Eventually, Itachi turned down a large alley that seemed to lead to a dead end. The building in front of them seemed like the largest in the city. It was adorned with more statues than the other buildings, the most prominent of which was almost as tall as the building itself. It was a little grotesque, and it loomed over the city like a terrifying but benevolent guardian.

The statue's message was clear; don't mess with Ame.

The kids stopped at the entrance to the alley way and all patted Kattan on the head before running off to play somewhere else.

"Bye bye puppy!" the youngest waved before running to catch up with his friends. Since she couldn't bark with her ball in her mouth, Kattan bit down instead and squeaked her own goodbye to the kids.

Itachi walked up to the wall at the end of the alley. He held up his hand, and his ring began to glow. Sakura wasn't too surprised when a door appeared, and opened into a narrow set of stairs.

"Come on Ka-chan," she called as she followed Itachi and Kisame up the stairs. Once Kattan had scurried inside, the door closed behind her.

The narrow stairs were well lit with cheerful little yellow row lights, casting the stairwell in a sunny glow that greatly contrasted the grey light outside.

About one story up, the stairs opened into a large two story room with floor to ceiling windows on one wall and two floors of rooms on the opposite one. There were twelve rooms, six on each floor, with a spiral staircase and balcony to access the top row. The main room seemed to be a living room and dining room. It was industrial, the walls were concrete, the fixtures were metal, and the floor was stone, but it was also homier than Sakura had expected.

In one corner there was a large squishy couch, several arm chairs, and a bunch of pillows clustered together on an ornate but worn rug. The nearby stone fireplace was empty, but made the area seem very inviting.

In the opposite corner, near the window, a wooden table large enough to seat twelve people sat next to a small but well equipped kitchen. Sakura supposed that the small door by the fridge led to a pantry.

On the wall next to the door they had entered from, there were two other doors. The right most door, next to the kitchen area, was larger and more ornate than the others, and since it was slightly ajar, Sakura could see that it led to a staircase that continued upwards. The left most doorway was simple and unassuming, and led to more stairs, this time, going downwards.

The fourth wall was completely blank. Sakura wondered why no one hung any art there, or something, but then she remembered whose hideout, or house, or whatever, this was.

Itachi walked over to the spiral staircase and walked across the open balcony to the room in the far corner. Kisame headed into the room directly below, and Sakura decided to follow Itachi. Kattan, meanwhile, was sniffing and snorting all along the floor and over the furniture like a bloodhound on a trail.

"Just don't pee on anything, Ka-chan," Sakura called down from the balcony. Kattan cocked her head to the side and tried to look innocent.

Sakura peered into the room Itachi had disappeared into. It was a sparse little room, with a twin sized bed, a desk, a shelf, and a door for the closet next to the bathroom door. Itachi was setting his things in the corner next to the bed.

"You may sleep here tonight," he said as he emptied out one of his bags and tucked it into his cloak, "There is no need to unpack, we will be leaving in the morning."

"Okay."

Sakura made herself comfortable by throwing off her cloak and boots. She decided to test out the bed by throwing herself into it and bouncing around a bit. It was sufficiently bouncy, and she giggled a little.

"I have some errands," she heard Itachi state before leaving and closing the door behind him. Suddenly alone, Sakura considered her options for entertainment.

"Hmm," she scanned the room for something to do, "Might as well test the shower next."

The bathroom was small, like the bedroom, but it had all of the amenities. To Sakura's utter delight, it had a bath shower combo, instead of just a shower. She filled the tub with deliciously hot water and slipped in for a muscle soothing soak.

After her bath, she headed back to the common room to invade the kitchen. As she had suspected, the door in the kitchen led to a pantry, which was dutifully stocked with a tantalizing array of food. Sakura stuffed herself like a right pig.

Kisame was asleep, judging by the snores coming from his room, and Kattan was asleep on the couch, so Sakura decided that since she was clean and full, she might as well sleep too. She headed back up to her room, and leapt into the bed. After slipping under the covers, she rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

"_Oh come on, just get some sleep. It's not like I have anything better to do_," Sakura huffed to herself and glanced up at the small square window above the bed. The light was grey, but it was obviously not yet sunset.

It was normally too early for sleep, but that wasn't what was keeping Sakura awake. It dawned on her that she _did_ have something to do. She needed to come up with a plan to help Gaara. She didn't know exactly how the extraction would hurt him, so she wasn't sure which type of jutsu she would need to use to keep him alive. That, unfortunately, seemed to be something she would have to wait until the last minute to figure out.

Sakura realized that she needed to make sure she was with Gaara during the extraction itself, which would most likely mean sticking close to the other Akatsuki members whose job it was to capture and deliver him. But she couldn't leave Itachi and Kisame. If they noticed she was gone, they might try to stop her. Maybe she could trust Itachi and Kisame enough to help her? Should she tell them?

"_No, I can't really be sure what their reaction would be. I have to do this alone. This is too important to leave to chance_," Sakura convinced herself.

So, how does a person manage to be two places at once?

"_Bunshin, duh_," Sakura rolled her eyes, "_But I'll need to do kage bunshin if I want to slip it past Itachi. He'll notice a plain old bunshin like it was wearing a sign that said 'Fake Sakura' on it_."

If Naruto could make hundreds of them, then surely she could make one or two, especially with the help of the gates. She had seen him do the jutsu enough to have memorized the hand seals, so it should be relatively easy. Then all she had to do was send the clone off to keep Itachi busy, while she snuck off with Gaara's abductors.

"_Right, and they'll just let me tag along without suspicion? No, I have to disguise myself as something small and insignificant. Which means maintaining a henge for who knows how long… this isn't going to be easy. After all of that, I need to have enough chakra to keep Gaara alive. I'm walking a thin line here_," Sakura groaned a little, but was satisfied that at least some sort of plan was taking shape in her mind.

She didn't feel comfortable making any actual preparations in Ame, so she would have to wait until an opportunity arose while they were headed for the extraction site. Another uncertainty. Would an opportunity ever arise?

Finally, all of the thinking had begun to make her a little drowsy, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_The darkness enveloped her._

_It smothered her._

_It drowned her._

_Pinpricks of light._

_Pinpricks on her skin._

_Her entire body suddenly burst into flame._

_But she couldn't move. No matter how she struggled._

_Trapped. Helpless._

_The smell of untreated wood. Her own sweat._

_Her own blood._

"_NO!" She tried to scream but no sound came out._

_The darkness. It smothered her._

_Loneliness. Terror._

"_They can't really hurt us…"_

"…_Mother?"_

"…_as long as we stick together."_

"_Mother!"_

_She struggled against the weight holding her down. _

_She thrashed about wildly. Enraged._

"_Smile, my Sakura-chan."_

_She felt the strength returning to her limbs._

_And threw herself from the darkness._

_

* * *

  
_

"Sakura."

"Eh!?"

She looked around the room. The same room she had fallen asleep in. She was standing by the bed, in a defensive posture, the sheets still tangled around her limbs, but torn in places from her struggle.

Itachi stood in the doorway, still gripping the doorknob, his concern evident even through his emotionless mask. He continued into the room, closing the door behind himself, as Sakura untangled the sheets and slumped down on the bed.

"Did I startle you?" he asked as he took seat at the foot of the bed.

"No, it wasn't you," she reassured him and rubbed at her temples. The nightmare had left her with a headache. She glanced at the window. It wasn't even night yet. She hadn't been asleep very long at all, and she realized that she was more exhausted now than she had been _before_ her nap.

Itachi began taking off his cloak, and pulled out the bag he had taken with him. It was no longer empty, and he held it out to Sakura. She took it and gave him a questioning gaze, but he quickly turned his attention to removing his shoes.

Slowly, Sakura pulled out four text book sized boxes. They were gift wrapped with pretty green and blue paper, complete with delicate little bows.

"Itachi?" Sakura was taken aback, and a bit breathless. Why did she suddenly get so nervous? And what the hell were the gifts for?

"Uhh… so… what's the occasion?" she asked, still just staring at the boxes. He turned around slowly, and with most of his Shinobi equipment removed, sat at the end of the bed cross-legged.

He didn't make eye contact, instead looking at the boxes himself, "Your birthday."

"…What?" her eyes turned to saucers, "How did you…?"

Unblinking and unmoving, and in his usual detached tone, he finally whispered, "Your gravestone."

"…oh."

"Open them."

Sakura just nodded, and swallowed back a little nervousness. Carefully, she began to pull off the tape that held the paper in place. For some reason, she didn't want to tear the paper. It was as if the idea that he had bothered to wrap the gifts was more important than what they actually were.

Itachi silently watched her hands.

Eventually, the first gift was revealed.

"…no way... A complete set of twelve kunai with a custom built reinforced holster!?"

Sakura couldn't contain her giddy grin. Itachi gently pried the kunai from her grasp and pushed another gift into her hands. She opened the second gift with a little more vigor.

This box was a little larger.

"No way! An ANBU level Shinobi supply kit!"

Sakura squealed a little as she clutched the pouch to her chest, then dove for the third gift.

"A field medic first aid kit!" she was practically shrieking with joy.

The last gift was the largest of the four. As she opened it, the paper flew around her like confetti. When she saw the gift, her breath caught in her throat.

"Oh… Itachi. Ooh… a poisons and potions kit," she opened the kit and admired all of the little trinkets, "Oh, look at all the little vials and injection capsules, they're even color coded! And, there's already some extraction solution included! Oh! And look at the cute little mortar and pestle. It even comes with a crucible and a decanter! Wow!"

"You are not a normal girl," Itachi observed, finally looking up at her face as she turned to mush over her gifts.

"Hey!" she looked up at him with a mischievous grin and prodded him in the shoulder, "I take great pride in that, you know!"

"Hn."

Sakura set her gifts aside and tried to look him in the eye, but his gaze had turned back downwards.

"_Is he… blushing…again_?" Sakura tried to decide, but the light was too dim to be sure. Sakura knew she was blushing like fool herself, but realized that it didn't really bother her anymore. In some situations, it made sense to blush, and this was one of them.

"Uh… Itachi?" she tried to get him to look up at her, but he silently refused, "Thanks for the gifts, and everything."

He nodded curtly. She wanted to thank him more genuinely, but how? Normally, she would have hugged him, if he had been just about anyone else.

"_A hug? Really? Why not? Because he's Uchiha Itachi, that's why_," Sakura huffed aloud a little, which she immediately regretted since he seemed to take it as a hint to leave.

"_Oh, hell! Just do it_!" she screamed at herself as Itachi slid one leg off of the bed. Before he could shift his weight to pick himself up, Sakura threw herself at him, landing hard enough in his lap to elicit a grunt from the uncharacteristically startled Uchiha.

She wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug and exclaimed a little more forcefully than she had meant to, "Thank you so much Itachi!"

His arms flew out to the sides and his entire body stiffened as if he was under attack.

"_Alright, a little over the top, but at least I did it_," she reasoned with herself.

After a few tense seconds, Itachi suddenly relaxed. Sakura was about to hop up to play with her presents some, but she stopped when he brought his arms down and gently wrapped them around her. With her cheek squished against his collar bone, she could see his throat as he swallowed... nervously?... and tilted his head to rest his cheek against her temple.

Sakura's world turned silent. All she could hear was her own thundering heart. Her every thought stopped.

Or was her mind just reeling so fast she couldn't make anything out?

Eventually, coherent thought began to stray across her consciousness, "_My gods, I'm being hugged by Uchiha Itachi."_

As she tried to sort things out, she began to ramble like a maniac to herself, "_Oh my gods... No fucking way, that time in Koueki, he really did try to kiss me! Then, all of that avoidance stuff, the lack of eye contact? He's… shy. No fucking way. No. Not possible. The way he acted after I found out about my mother, he's… sweet. Who is this guy!? Giving me his cloak, buying me shit. Shit! Shitshit! Uchiha Itachi likes me. He likes me. Like, likes me, likes me. Why? Why the hell would he like me? Of all people?! Fuck. Not happening! This is so not happening! Oh my gods! Do I like him back? Do I?! I don't know! Gods! I think I do! Not good! This is so not good…_"

In the midsts of her internal rambling, Itachi was remaining perfectly still, like he was waiting for her reaction before making a decision himself.

But Sakura wasn't sure what to do. She was torn between passing out from sheer joy or passing out from utter horror. So her body did for her the only thing her mind seemed to agree on.

She outright passed out.

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was Itachi's sleeping face. She had blacked out long enough for him to decide to lie down, and actually fall asleep. The light coming in from the window was still an illuminated grey.

"_Geeze, is it ever going to get dark_?" Sakura asked the sky incredulously.

She looked back at Itachi, and admired his peaceful expression. She had never seen him so happy looking. He wasn't smiling, but the relaxed contentment was impossible to miss. His right arm was tucked up under his head, but his left arm was draped protectively across Sakura's waist. Her own arms were tucked under her chin, and she carefully reached out to brush a piece of his hair out of his face.

"_What am I doing_?" she asked herself as she watched his slow steady breathing, "_I am __**not**__ falling for him. Not! He's not a good guy, right? Remember all of those things he said about killing people if I left? He only wants me here to make finding Naruto easier. Right? What if all this niceness and sweetness is just an act, to make me easier to control, to make me more willing to stay?_"

He mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and his grip on her waist tightened slightly. The edge of his lips turned upwards in a smirk.

"_Well, then again, so what? It's not like I don't have my own reasons for staying now anyway. Who cares why he thinks I'm here? And so what if it's an act? It still feels nice. Why does he have to be so cute when he's sleeping? What's wrong with liking him a little? What's wrong with being nice to him? Hell, I profess to love Sasuke, and he could care less if I even existed. At least Itachi is pretending to be nice, and maybe he does sort of care, a little. If I can love that prick Sasuke, then I can at least be nice to Itachi, right?_"

She reached out again, to run a finger over his smirking lips, and as soon as she made contact, his eyes shot open. He didn't bother masking the look of utter confusion on his face. Sakura just slowly retracted her hand and beamed at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

He looked around the room, slowly coming to his senses, and then noticed the window.

"It isn't night yet?" he asked in a whisper.

"No," she shook her head.

They laid in silence for several more minutes, staring at each other, neither wanting to move. Itachi kept his arm around her, and he didn't loosen his grip.

"You know," Sakura began before things could get too awkward, "I didn't have a nightmare while I was passed out."

Itachi only raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I was expecting to, you know, since I usually do lately," her expression softened, "But I think I didn't because you're here. It makes sense, really. When I was little, if I had a bad dream, I'd go sleep with my mother. Sure enough, every time, if I was with her, the nightmare didn't return."

His gaze turned downward, and Sakura suddenly realized that he did that when he was thinking about something.

"Thank you," she whispered, "for keeping me safe from the nightmares."

His eyes narrowed, but his pupils dilated slightly.

"_Now, he's remembering something_," she noticed.

"You," he whispered without shifting his gaze, "You messed everything up."

Sakura was a little shocked, and would have been hurt, but there was no malice in his voice. She just kept quiet and listened. He spoke slowly, and so softly that she had to strain to hear him.

"Everything I had worked so hard for. Everything I had ever done. All of my carefully laid plans. You stormed in here, and threw them asunder. But it was my fault too. I forced you here. At first, I was angry, but now…"

He finally met her stunned gaze, and she noticed that his eyes were glossy. The first vestiges of tears that she knew he would never let fall.

"Now, I have to make new plans. And… I think the new plans will be… better."

Silence fell, again, and they just lay in the bed staring at each other. Then, Sakura began to grin. A big heartfelt smile that showed her teeth and crinkled her eyes, because if she didn't smile that hard, her insides would explode with joy.

He had just told her why he liked her. It was his version of a confession. She had made him change his mind, and he liked it. She was a stubborn, argumentative bitch, and he loved her for it.

Sakura's Potential Boyfriend category had just become much shorter. Shorter, because the now one and only spot on the list was being taken up in a big way by Uchiha Itachi.

Damn him for stealing her heart. Damn him for being a criminal. But Sakura didn't care. None of it mattered if she didn't want it to. And at that moment, it really didn't.

Sakura's face began to hurt, so she was forced to stop smiling, and Itachi took that moment to lean in, and finish was he hadn't gotten the chance to do in Koueki. This time, Sakura was determined to let it happen.

As he leaned in, he pulled her closer, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips tickled against each other, teasingly. Sakura rubbed her leg against his, and rolled his hair through her fingers. She could taste his breath, he was so close. Like tea and sweets. Tired of the teasing, Sakura pressed forward to deepen the contact. As their lips fully touched - the bedroom door flew open.

"Wakey, wak- whoa!" Kisame bellowed as he came stomping into the room, though he quickly turned his head when he realized what he had just walked into. Sakura nearly fell off the bed in shock, but Itachi looked more peeved than embarrassed.

"Glad to see you kids getting along so well, and all, but aren't we supposed to leave in the morning?" Kisame asked. Sakura slipped out of the bed and tried to make herself look busy by gathering the supplies Itachi had bought for her.

"That is correct, Kisame," Itachi glared daggers, but Kisame was unfazed.

"Well, seeing as how it's nearly noon, think we might want to get a move on?"

"What!?" Sakura scrambled through her new supply pack for its standard issue watch. Sure enough, it was half past eleven. They had slept through the night? And most of the morning for that matter.

Itachi looked up at the window accusingly, as if it had lied to him, then back to Kisame.

"Five minutes," he stated and began to gather his own things. Once he had finished, while Sakura was sill busy organizing her new supplies to her liking, he opened the closet door. Inside, hung an extra cloak and hat. He tossed them to Sakura, who put them on with glee. They were obviously just spare for Itachi, since the robe touched the ground when Sakura wore it.

"I'll hem it later," she commented offhandedly, as she followed Itachi out. In the common area, Kisame was sitting on the couch waiting for them. Kattan bounced around the floor tossing her head and squeaking her ball.

"Sleep well Ka-chan?" Sakura asked the hyper little puppy, who scurried over and demanded to be held when she noticed Sakura.

"Well," Kisame got up and stretched, "If you two are…_done_… we better get going."

"Oh shut up Kisame!" Sakura shifted Kattan to her left shoulder so she could reach out and smack Kisame on his, eliciting a cringe out of him. Itachi shook his head a little, and then headed for the exit. As Sakura followed, she glanced into the kitchen. Inside, a woman with blue hair was making tea, for two judging by the extra cup.

"_She's beautiful_," Sakura breathed to herself, "_Is she in Akatsuki!? A woman!? Awesome!_"

Neither Itachi nor Kisame paid any attention at all to the mysterious woman, but Sakura was too excited to leave it at that.

As she walked past the kitchen, she waved and chirped, "Good morning!"

"Gah, Hime-chan!" Kisame groaned, and grabbed Sakura by the hand. Before she could protest, he had dragged her down the steps and out the door.

* * *

A/N: Argh! Kisame! You cockblock! *shakes fist* I have been waiting for this chapter since I started writing this damned story. I even made it all longer. The outline was meant to be 10 chapters, but now it's as much as 13 with all the crap I added here. I'm going to try to stop neglecting 'Hesitation' next, but it seems that all the ItaSaku squishiness in 'Soutou' has taken my muse monkey hostage. As always, thanks so much for the awesome reviews and feedback! I love you guys!


	7. Respect

**Chapter Seven: Respect**

**Struggle - to advance with forceful effort.**

* * *

The sun was shining. Sakura had become so exhausted by the heavy shield of rain that she, Itachi and Kisame had been traveling through, that when, on the third day of walking, the rain abruptly stopped, she threw off her cloak with a whoop and went running off through the jungle with Kattan yipping on her heels. Fruit trees filled the dense forest, and Sakura took the time to fill her bags with the rain heavy fruit.

From the canopy of a huge apple tree, Sakura scanned the forest for Itachi and Kisame's chakra. They were walking in her direction, unhurried by her antics, and sufficiently far away for Sakura to check that the Kage Bunshin and the Henge she had activated the night before were in no danger of breaking or being detected. So far, everything was going according to plan.

Kattan cocked her head at Sakura in curiosity.

"Don't worry, Ka-chan. I know what I'm doing, just keep this between us, okay?"

Sakura patted her on the head and Kattan yipped in agreement. As Itachi and Kisame neared, Sakura was struck with the sudden urge to make some mischief. She pulled out the most ripe and juicy piece of fruit she had found and quickly slipped out of the tree. With as little chakra as possible and without revealing her location, Sakura activated the time jutsu.

"Ninpou, Fukappatsu na Jikoku no Jutsu," she sniggered.

It was easy to flank her unsuspecting victim with time slowed nearly to a stop, and without hesitation, she reared back and hurled the fruit straight for Itachi's back. His instincts were spot on, though. Even in slowed time, he detected the assault, and with impressive speed began to duck to avoid the attack aimed at his back. It was too late though, as his efforts only served to place his head right in the path of the oncoming projectile.

Sakura burst out laughing and lost her hold on the time jutsu as the fruit liquefied against the back of Itachi's head, knocking his hat off and soaking his hair in fruit juice. Kisame blinked twice in confusion, then quickly joined Sakura in a good hearty laugh at sticky Itachi's expense. Itachi only turned around slowly to raise an annoyed eyebrow at Sakura, who was now kneeling on the ground, clutching her sides and cackling.

"I see that your mood has lightened," he deadpanned. Sakura only nodded and tried not to snort.

Itachi reached up to assess the damage to his hair, and pulled out a handful of slimy fruit pulp.

"Eh!?" Sakura was knocked on her butt when a ball of squashed fruit slapped her right in the face. Kisame nearly choked laughing.

"_I didn't even see him move_!" Sakura gasped to herself and wiped the fruit off of her face. Still picking bits of fruit out of his hair, Itachi smirked slightly and turned to walk away before Sakura could retaliate.

Kattan bounced into Sakura's lap and volunteered to help clean up by licking Sakura on the face. Sakura giggled and scooped the puppy into her arms, then skipped off past snickering Kisame and sticky Itachi to explore the jungle ahead.

* * *

After only a few more hours of travel, the landscape was transformed. The jungle thinned and the foliage changed. Instead of huge drooping fruit trees, the forest was filled with tall straight nut trees and conifers. The gentle breeze playfully rustled the leaves and tussled Sakura's long pink hair. Her missing nin companions were far behind her, and taking their time, though Kattan had followed and was keeping her company.

Eventually she stumbled upon a clearing with a stream running past a hill of old eroded boulders. Sakura reached into the cool water and splashed off her face to clean off the last of the carnage from the fruit war she had started with Itachi. She climbed up the small rocky outcropping to wait for her less hyper companions to catch up with her. She pulled her Akatsuki cloak out of her bag and spread it out on the highest rock so she could lay back and soak up the warm cheerful sun rays. Kattan scurried across the rocks, sniffing around and chasing lizards that had come out of the cracks and crevices to sun themselves like Sakura.

Soothed by the sun and a little tired from the strain of simultaneously maintaining two jutsu, Sakura draped an arm over her eyes and let her mind wander.

The visit to the Akatsuki base had raised more questions than answers about the mysterious organization of S-class criminals. The base in Ame was huge, and beautiful. So why wasn't it full of other members or their stuff? Where did they go instead? Why did no one seem interested in staying in rainy but cheery Ame?

And the only other member Sakura had seen, the blue haired woman, she had only seen for an instant. Itachi and Kisame seemed not just content, but _determined_ to ignore her. Who was she? Why didn't anyone talk to her?

In any case, Sakura was going to get the chance to meet a few other members soon, though the circumstances likely wouldn't put her on their good side. Interference with a Shinobi's mission was rarely appreciated. She was anxious, but excited. It was an odd sensation, like huge flaming butterflies in her stomach, and she had to suppress it to avoid suspicion from Itachi and Kisame. They likely thought she was just being feisty and running around for fun, when in reality she was avoiding them a little, out of guilt as much as caution.

Why did Itachi's opinion especially concern her now? They had barely kissed, and the situation was not at all able to be interpreted as dating or a relationship or anything like that. It was just… indefinable.

"_He trusts me, I think. And for some reason, likes me a little too. And now I have to betray him to save a friend. Will he understand? Will he hate me for it?_"

The idea of Itachi hating her made the flaming butterflies turn flips. It was a mistake to let herself become emotionally attached to anyone after fleeing from Konoha. She had told herself she wouldn't make that mistake. And invariably, she had, and with criminals no less.

She was supposed to be protecting herself and learning how to help protect Konoha from the shadows. Instead, she had become protective of people who had once been her enemies. She hated to admit it, but if there was a fight, she would protect Itachi and Kisame. What would she do if the people they were fighting were from Konoha though? Who would she protect then?

"_Everyone_," Sakura gritted her teeth in determination, "_I wouldn't let anyone get hurt. I wouldn't let anyone die. I'll protect everyone I love... Everyone_."

The resolution calmed her nerves only slightly.

When the sun was just turning red near the horizon, Itachi and Kisame finally strolled into the clearing. Kisame set down his bags and began to make a camp while Itachi materialized next to Sakura.

"Enjoying yourself?" he inquired.

"Oh, yes, very much so," Sakura peeked out past her forearm and answered with a grin. Itachi surveyed the area with mild interest.

"This is a suitable area to spend the night," he stated and began to walk down the rock face to where Kisame was unrolling his laughably small sleeping mat.

"Hey, Itachi!" Sakura sat up and got his attention before he had gone far, "I noticed that we aren't exactly in much of a hurry, so I was just wondering, why didn't we stay in Ame longer?"

Without pause he answered, "There was no need to stay in Ame."

Sakura was unsatisfied by his characteristically vague answer, but let the subject drop for the time being. The sun hadn't set completely, so Sakura decided to stay on her perch and watch the sunset while her companions made themselves busy.

Kisame gathered wood from the edge of the clearing for a fire while Itachi made his way down the rocks towards the stream. Sakura watched, though she tried to look like she wasn't, as Itachi stripped down to his pants and waded into a deeper part of the stream. He ran his fingers through his long black hair to rinse out the dried bits of fruit pulp. Sakura admired the way the muscles in his arms and back moved as he washed himself. She had seen plenty of shirtless men as a medic, but had never taken the time to really _observe_ one. Especially not one as attractive as the bathing Uchiha.

"_Wow, he really is good looking, better than Sasuke even… well, he is older after all_," Sakura caught herself staring, as if caught by a Genjutsu. A little offended by the path of her own thoughts, she tried to look away, but instead began to watch the water ripple over his back as he stood up. Itachi suddenly glanced up at Sakura, as if he had finally sensed her gaze locked on him, and she quickly looked up and awkwardly tried to act like she had been watching the sun the entire time.

"_Oh, the sun sure is pretty! I sure do love a good sunset! My eyes are starting to burn a little from looking directly at the sun!_"

Sakura didn't dare look down at Itachi again, in case he was still looking at her, so she finally averted her gaze from the sun to Kisame instead. To her horror, he was staring up at her with a suspiciously smarmy grin plastered on his blue sharky face.

"_You bastard! You were watching me watch Itachi weren't you_!?" she glared down at him in silence, but her thoughts must have been written on her face as Kisame sniggered in response before turning towards the fire to poke the food he had been cooking.

Enticed by the smell, Sakura decided to ignore the potentially embarrassing situation in favor of trying to bum some food off of Kisame.

"What're you making?" she asked after climbing down and making herself comfortable by the fire. Kattan followed, finally tired from chasing lizards, and curled up next to Kisame's knee to sleep.

"Eh, just heating up some rations to make them more appetizing," he grumbled and poked the food roughly again. Sakura quickly changed her mind about asking him to share and dug around in her own bag instead.

"Lots of fruit, and some _more _rations. Why didn't I raid the kitchen better before we left?" Sakura whined a little as she settled on eating some fruit for the moment.

"Because you were too busy getting cozy with lover boy," Kisame snorted sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up Kisame! Nothing happened!" she glared at him and quickly added, "Thanks to you!"

Kisame was practically roaring with laughter when Itachi rounded the corner and walked up to the fire. Sakura immediately noticed that he was wearing his cloak and _carrying_ his wet clothes. Uninterested in what Kisame had found so amusing, he knelt down by the fire and spread out his juice free clothes to dry. Sakura pondered silently what, if anything, he was wearing under the cloak if his clothes were by the fire. It suddenly occurred to her that she too had been nearly naked inside that same cloak fairly recently. It was an intriguing realization.

With his back to the others, Itachi began to lay out some food for himself. Unlike either Sakura or Kisame, he had somehow had the foresight to pack something more appetizing than Shinobi rations and in a matter of minutes a kettle of oolong tea and a pot of miso soup were steaming at the edge of the fire. Sakura had finished her fruit dinner, and absentmindedly wondered if Itachi would be willing to share if she asked nicely.

When the soup was done, Itachi filled a small bowl to the brim, and without a word, passed it to Sakura.

"Eh?" she was pleasantly surprised, and accepted the soup readily, "Thank you."

Itachi then served himself. The soup was easily one of the most delicious things Sakura had ever tasted, though the fact that she was hungry probably helped.

"Hey!" Kisame suddenly growled, "What about me!?"

Itachi looked up from his own soup casually, "You are not cute enough to earn my affection or my soup."

Sakura nearly choked in shock.

"Oh come on! I've known you way longer than her!" Kisame pointed at Sakura accusingly.

"Whoa! Wait up!" Sakura sat down her bowl and raised her hands in defense, "I am _not_ fighting you for Itachi! You can have him, and the soup!"

Kisame burst out laughing and Sakura couldn't help but laugh a little herself at the absurdity of the joke. Itachi shook his head and passed the pot of soup over to Kisame as if he had been planning to do so all along. The shark nin accepted the pot with a grin.

"Yankin' my chain," Kisame mumbled as he took a huge slurp of soup. Sakura giggled a little and continued to enjoy her share of the soup as well. Embarrassingly, she found herself nearly unable to stop giggling because her mood was caught up in a single thought.

"_Itachi called me cute_."

* * *

Morning came bright and early. The sky was free of clouds, and Sakura woke to the chatter of birds in the speckled canopy above her head. On the sleeping mat next to hers, Itachi was already awake and calmly laying on his back with his hands tucked under his head. He turned to look at Sakura as she sat up and stretched. She was expecting the traveling to continue at the usual lazy pace, so she took her time with her morning routine. Around the other side of the outcropping, Kisame and Kattan were splashing around in the stream. Itachi, already packed aside form the mat he was laying on, silently watched her.

While Sakura was at first flattered by the attention, his unwavering gaze began to irritate her, and after a few minutes of putting up with it, she turned to shoot him a questioning glance.

"What?" she raised an eyebrow and propped a hand on her hip. Itachi sat up slowly.

"Your chakra seems abnormal today," he observed coolly.

Sakura inwardly blanched. He _had _noticed something. Admittedly, Sakura hadn't gotten much sleep, since completely loosing consciousness could have cost her control over the jutsu she was hiding. She had hoped that he wouldn't notice, but she should have known that her amateurish efforts wouldn't have escaped the expert eyes of Uchiha Itachi. She tried to brush it off.

"I haven't noticed," she shrugged as naturally as she could muster, "Maybe the good weather has changed my mood."

He didn't seem convinced by her suggestion.

"Look," Sakura tried a more assertive approach, "I'm the medic nin here, if there was something wrong, I'd be the first person to notice it. I really appreciate that you care about me so much, but I'm okay, really. So quit staring."

Finally, he averted his gaze, and began to roll up his mat and tuck it into his travel bag. He didn't say anything, or give any indication as to whether or not he had believed her. Silently, he began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked, suddenly a little concerned by his reaction.

"Getting a head start, or do you plan on staying with the group today?" he answered without stopping. Sakura sighed in relief.

"I'm coming, and I'll stick around. I got my exploring out of my system," she quickly gathered up her things and started removing evidence of the camp site. With all traces of their presence gone, Sakura skipped over to the stream to get Kisame and Kattan. Itachi was with them, and as soon as she caught up, the group started again on the slow trek through the forest.

* * *

Itachi hadn't said exactly how long they would be traveling, but he implied that it would be several more days until they reached their destination. Sakura was surprised then, when later that same day she felt two sizeable chakra sources headed straight for them at a decent but not hurried pace.

"What the hell are they doing out here?" Kisame grumbled to Itachi, who seemed merely impassive.

"Who?" Sakura asked, though she had an educated guess already.

"Just the guys we're supposed to meet," Kisame reassured her as Itachi led them to a clearing to wait for their visitors. Kattan seemed as unconcerned as Itachi, so Sakura took it as a sign to relax, since the puppy had almost a sixth sense when it came to strangers.

Within a few minutes, two figures dressed in Akatsuki robes and hats entered the clearing.

"Itachi-san," the shorter but bulkier of the two spoke first.

His voice was deep and for some reason reminded Sakura of the sound of grinding metal. His more lithe partner stood by silently, but his stance seemed impatient. From her spot slightly behind Kisame, Sakura squinted to get a better look at the men past the hats that shadowed their faces. The short bulky man seemed almost inhuman, his features were stiff, though largely hidden by a handkerchief. His eyes gazed lifelessly straight ahead and unblinking.

The other Akatsuki member was decidedly more animated, since his surprisingly feminine features were twisted in a scowl. He looked young, and the blond would have struck Sakura as attractive had he not been pouting like a child being forced to do something he didn't like. The overall mood of the situation wasn't hostile at all, but for some reason, it didn't exactly feel friendly either.

"Sasori-sama," Itachi responded politely.

"_Sama!? So that guy's in charge here, huh? Better be on good behavior_," Sakura mused.

"The meeting place was changed?" Itachi voiced the obvious question.

"Due to your mysterious new charge," Sasori answered without hesitation, briefly passing a glance at Sakura, "Leader intents to limit interference from all potential sources."

"_Mysterious?_" Sakura hung on the word for a moment, "_Don't they know why I was kidnapped? Wait…_"

No one had ever _told_ her that she was kidnapped. Itachi only once threatened her to make her stay, and she had since realized that the threat was empty. Neither Itachi nor Kisame acted like they thought she would try to escape. Neither showed any distrust. They treated her more like a companion. Itachi had even bought weapons and equipment for her, which is definitely not something you do for a prisoner. What if they had no intention of using her as bait after all? Then what was the motivation? Why did their leader tolerate her? Why was Itachi so desperate to keep her around that he would lie to her to make her stay?

The possibility that Sakura had misinterpreted Itachi's intentions lingered in her thoughts, until she noticed that the young blonde Akatsuki starting at her incredulously. She tried to hide better behind her cloak and hat.

"What the hell, hm!?" he suddenly erupted and gestured wildly at Sakura, "You're dragging some puny little girl around with you, hm!?"

Kisame tried to swallow his laughter, and was failing miserably. Sakura didn't see what was so funny, though. Ironic, maybe. But not funny. He was not going to get away with insulting her like that with no provocation.

"Who the hell are you calling puny, you girly little shrimp!" Sakura shot back with venom as she threw off her hat and unbuttoned her cloak to prepare herself for a fight. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his pout turned to a snarl. She realized that if she could get him to attack her, it would be the perfect opportunity to plant the henge on him. All she had to do was get close enough, and with his attitude, it couldn't be too hard.

"Haruno Sakura," Sasori suddenly said her name, snapping her attention to him. His dead eyes were burrowing into her, and her fighting spirit shrank ever so slightly. Her argument with the younger man was easily forgotten.

"How do you…" Sakura trailed off as he began to answer her question before she had fully asked it.

"One of my spies had an unfortunate encounter with you, as I recall. A pink haired medic from Leaf? No doubt the Hokage's own apprentice, correct?"

"…Is he alright!?" she asked hopefully. She desperately wanted to know the fate of the young charming spy who had changed her perspective. Did he survive? How else would the Akatsuki have heard of her? It that why they wanted her? As a medic?

"I am not foolish enough to send only one Shinobi to observe anything of interest. The one you captured is dead. Thanks to your skills, according to the report," his cold detached voice made the confirmation of the young man's death sting all the more.

"I didn't kill him!" Sakura countered hotly. Her finders dug into her palms as she tried to suppress the memory of the tortured man. He had a sister he had remembered fondly. He wasn't evil, right?

"I liked him!" she fought back tears of guilt, and suddenly aware of her own glaring emotions, quickly amended more timidly, "sort of."

"Interesting," Sasori observed Sakura with a detached and calculating gaze, then turned to Itachi, "A word in private, Itachi-san."

"Of course," he nodded once and followed Sasori over to the far edge of the clearing out of earshot. Once they had gone, Kisame reached over and gave Sakura a good hearty pat on the back.

"You okay, Hime-chan?" he gave her a toothy grin.

"Yeah," she sighed and nodded reassuringly, "I knew that they were going to kill him, I just sort of hoped, you know, maybe he had escaped at the last minute, or something."

The younger Akatsuki was listening with curiosity.

"You were just doing your job, no need to feel guilty," Kisame squeezed Sakura's shoulder a little.

She shook her head, "No, I can't help it. I can't help feeling like they killed an innocent person, or, well, maybe not innocent… I just know it wasn't right. I just know, he didn't really deserve to die."

"You're an odd one, hm," the blonde Akatsuki member stated more calmly than his first outburst. At first Sakura wanted to snap something back at him, but her mood was ruined, and she really didn't feel like arguing over anything anymore. She'd get another opportunity to execute her plan later.

"Sorry for calling you girly," Sakura apologized, but she smirked a little at the memory.

"Oh, yeah, about that. Fuck you, hm," he spat but with less hateful venom than Sakura was expecting.

She laughed, "You're incorrigible."

He narrowed his eyes, as if trying to decide whether or not 'incorrigible' was an insult. Sakura giggled again, and stuck out her tongue. He smirked slyly and stuck out his tongue, from the middle of his palm.

"What the!?" Sakura gasped, but immediately recognized the opportunity.

She bounded over to him, "Oh, cool! It that a kekkei genkai!?"

Apparently astounded by her reaction he just stood staring dumbly as she leaned in for a closer look at his hand.

"Do it again!" she was practically squealing in excitement, "I want to get a better look at the way the anatomy of your hand has changed to accommodate the structure of a mouth!"

Only when she grabbed his hand and tried to stick her finger in the mouth to make it open did he suddenly object.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!? Get off me, hm!"

He tried to wrench his hand free, but Sakura just turned around and used her chakra enhance strength to keep his elbow tucked firmly under her arm.

"Stay still! I just wanna look!"

"Freak! You're supposed to be grossed out, hm!" He gathered up some chakra himself, but before he could use it, Sakura took advantage of the distraction and slowed time just enough so no one would see her switch one of his kunai with one of hers.

With another more concerted effort, he finally managed to break free of her grip, though mostly because Sakura had decided to let him go.

"Geeze, sorry. It's just kinda cool. I didn't mean to freak you out," she tried to apologize but he seemed inconsolable. His cheeks were a little flushed, and Sakura was pretty sure it was from anger.

"Danna!" he shouted over to where Sasori and Itachi were still talking, "I'm going back to the site! Stupid girl manhandled me, hm." He had grumbled the last part, then turned and disappeared into the forest without waiting for a response from Sasori.

"I hope I didn't offend him too badly," Sakura admitted to Kisame, who was snickering a little at something only he found funny.

"Oh, don't worry Hime-chan, you didn't. Quite the opposite in fact," he snorted, "And that's the problem."

Only moments later, Sasori left as well, leaving Itachi to explain the situation to Kisame and Sakura.

"This is as far as we need to go. We will be engaging intruders from a distance with the help of a jutsu and some of Sasori's former followers."

Kisame nodded, "And the extraction?"

"Will also be done from here using projection. Rest for now, leader will contact us when we are needed."

Realizing that the plans excluded her, Sakura wandered over to the edge of the clearing to set up a camp. It seemed that they would be staying put for a little while. Itachi followed her.

"Sakura," his tone was a little tense and he averted his eyes when she turned to acknowledge him, "It would be in your best interest to conduct yourself in a more professional manner around other members of Akatsuki."

Sakura was taken aback. Her gut reaction was to snap at him. How dare he tell her how to act? Besides, that blonde ass hole had started it!

He stared at the ground, and turned away suddenly, "I want them to respect you."

It finally dawned on Sakura that Itachi wasn't scolding her, or trying to shame her at all.

"_He's looking out for me. He's watching my back,_" she realized and stamped down her pride for his sake.

She sighed, "I know… I will. Thank you."

Still facing away from her, he nodded curtly, and began to walk off.

"Hey!" Sakura chirped and he stopped to listen, "what's for dinner?"

She grinned widely as he turned back to look at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. With a sigh of resignation and a slight shake of his head, he walked back over to Sakura and helped her build a fire pit for dinner.

* * *

"You have been distant lately."

Sakura looked up from her scrolls to meet Itachi's gaze. Kisame and Kattan were curled up at the edge of the woods, snoring like machinery. Itachi was sitting next to Sakura by the fire, previously engrossed in his ritual of tea and kanji practice, until he had shared his observation.

"You mean, you don't like me going off on my own?" Sakura tried to clarify before jumping to a conclusion.

"I do not mean physically," he corrected, "You may judge me as a hypocrite when I tell you this, but I do not appreciate you intentionally keeping something of importance from me."

Sakura's eyes narrowed a little, "_Yeah, you were right about the hypocrite thing alright._"

She knew her inferior ability to conceal her intentions was not going to fool Itachi forever, but with the pieces finally starting to fall into place, she was reluctant to outright confess what she had been planning. He still had time to try to stop her if he wanted to. She couldn't risk Gaara's life.

The question was, exactly how much had the genius Uchiha pieced together? If he knew something was going on, why hadn't he tried to stop her yet? Was he still just guessing?

"I appreciate your concern," as usual, Sakura found herself taking the moral high ground with Itachi, "but I've just been distracted lately. I've been wrapped up in my own head, and yeah, some things about this mission bother me. But I promise you, I would never do anything to put you or Kisame or anyone else in danger. I'm not plotting anything evil or dishonest. Just trust me, okay?"

Itachi was silent, but he hadn't looked away yet. It was like he was trying to read her thoughts, as if he doubted her words. Sakura was a little offended.

"Look, I don't interrogate you about all of the things you keep from me, and granted, that's mostly because it doesn't matter anymore. I trust, on some level, that whatever it is you aren't telling me, it isn't going to put me in danger or get me killed," Sakura crossed her arms and huffed, a little frustrated by his impassive stare. Finally, he looked down and his eyes narrowed.

"_Good, at least he's thinking now_," Sakura observed. She waited patiently for him to speak.

"I know that you would not harm us now that we have reached an understanding. It is not you that I distrust."

"I figured that, but it's still a little insulting that you don't really believe that I can take care of myself. I'm not some weakling little girl anymore, I can defend myself, even from someone in Akatsuki," Sakura tried to convey confidence, but doubt in her own abilities still plagued her mind and memories.

"There are some in Akatsuki that an entire army of Shinobi of our caliber could not defend against. Do not do anything to anger them."

"I'm not," she tried to reassure him with a smile, "I'm not doing anything to ruin Akatsuki's plans. I promise."

For the moment, Itachi seemed satisfied by her vow, and he returned to his kanji.

"Get some rest," he told Sakura, "Your chakra is still abnormal and you seem tired."

Sakura smiled in resignation, "Yes sir, Mr. Fussypants, sir."

She prodded him in the shoulder before curling up on the sleeping mat next to him for what was bound to be another restless night.

* * *

A/N: Whoo! Finally, an update. I know, I said I wouldn't go so long without one, but life just gets in the way sometimes. The only reason I got around to writing this is because I got sick and had to call off work this weekend! I'm really excited about this story, and will absolutely keep writing, even if it is just a few sentences at a time. 'Hesitation' too, it's just hard to find the time, especially when muse monkey is being overworked herself by non fandom realted art projects. Thank you all so much for sticking around, and thanks so much for all of the wonderful feedback you keep giving me. Let me know what you think!


	8. Restraint

**Soutou "Struggle"**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Restraint**

**Struggle - to bring, put, or place by struggling .**

* * *

How much longer would she have to wait? Patience was a commodity that Sakura was finding in short supply as the days dragged on. She was fatigued from maintaining the jutsu and continuously contemplated releasing them out of sheer exhaustion.

"_How does Shishou do it_?" she marveled at Tsunade's ability to flawlessly maintain a henge all hours of every day without drain.

Sakura fidgeted even as she sat in the low grass playing with the tiny flowers that carpeted the clearing near their makeshift camp. She had already gathered plants for her new potions kit while they were traveling, and now had nothing of importance to do to help her pass the time. Itachi had disappeared several hours ago, but Kisame was seated nearby in the shade and throwing the ball for Kattan.

How much longer would she have to wait? Sakura shifted uncomfortably again.

"You bored or something, Hime-chan?" Kisame asked with a grunt as he tossed the ball with effort, sending it sailing several hundred yards across the clearing and into the woods. To her credit, Kattan tore off after it without hesitation, running surprisingly fast for a puppy whose legs were only just beginning to grow to fit her body.

"_Oh, great, even Kisame can tell I'm acting weird_," Sakura tried to fake a smile, but she looked more tired than happy.

Itachi hadn't bugged her about her chakra or behavior since the meeting with Sasori, but Sakura knew that it wasn't because she had put his mind at rest. She could tell that it still bothered him, but he was trying to trust her and let her make her own decisions. She appreciated the gesture, but felt a growing surge of guilt knowing that his trust of her would just blow up in his face. But Gaara's life was more important than their relationship. Right?

"_This is no time to be selfish_," Sakura scolded herself, "_If Itachi really cares about me as much as I hope he does, this won't ruin us, he might even understand_."

But then again, how much would an infamous murderer be able to relate to the idea of sacrificing yourself for a friend? Or more accurately, for a friend of a friend?

Doubts began to plague Sakura's mind as she tried to predict how Itachi would react. Too often, she found herself second guessing his behavior because of his past. It was like he was two different people. One was the Itachi she had grown to respect, trust, and even love, and the other was an S-class missing nin who murdered his entire family; women, children and all, just to prove he could.

The Itachi she knew would never do something like that without a very good reason. He avoided conflict. He avoided killing. He was much too laid back and humble for that. He never had to prove anything to anyone, and he had even talked Sakura down from her pride when she had confronted the mercenary in Tea Country. Which version of him was the real one?

Was he really a monster, and his kindness just an act? Or was he everything Sakura had fallen in love with, and his past was just some misunderstood horror story that haunted him? The latter seemed unrealistic, but Sakura latched onto the possibility.

"_Still the hopeless romantic_," Sakura teased herself, but her mood wasn't lighthearted. Her wishful thinking was going to get her hurt. Again.

Suddenly, Sakura felt the pull on her chakra vanish. It was like she had dropped hundreds of weights, and everything was effortless again. But her appreciation of the freedom was tempered by the realization that the henge had been lifted. Her mission to save Gaara had officially begun.

* * *

Sakura managed to land on her feet as she struggled to reorient herself. The Akatsuki she had planted the kunai on had finally thrown it, enabling her to release the henge at a safe distance. While she was waiting, she had felt the surging chakra of battle, and it had made her nervous. Was she going to be too late? Would he never throw the kunai? Would she have to release the henge early and land on top of the bastard?

Sakura took in her surroundings. She was in the middle of a desert, in Wind Country, and high above her she could feel the chakra of the blond Akatsuki member. In the distance, through a valley carved in a rocky bluff, Suna was in chaos. She could feel the chakra of scrambling citizens and Shinobi, and small fires cast an eerie orange glow into the brown dust filled air.

"_Damn, they already attacked_!"

It was just as Sakura had feared. The valley leading to Suna was littered with bodies and she instinctively started running towards them to help. In her hurry she nearly tripped over a prone body hidden behind a small dune. She knelt down to examine the fallen Shinobi and immediately recognized his distinctive uniform and makeup.

"Kankuro!"

He was unconscious and unnaturally pale. His skin was clammy, but he was sweating profusely. Sakura knew without probing further that he had been poisoned.

Kankuro convulsed violently and Sakura had to nearly sit on him to keep him from hurting himself accidentally.

"…Gaara," he mumbled through his fever. Even in his condition, his mind was still on saving his brother.

"_Wait! Where is Gaara?" _

Sakura checked back with the retreating Akatsuki, flying away on an odd looking bird, and sure enough, a very faint but familiar chakra was emanating from the creature. Gaara had been captured.

"_Good, he's alive… but Kankuro needs help_."

Torn between healing Kankuro and sticking close to Gaara, Sakura wracked her mind for a way to help both. If she used her time jutsu, she would have time to heal Kankuro some, and not fall too far behind Gaara and his captor. But her chakra was split from the kage bunshin, and severely drained from the henge. Would she be able to do both and still have enough to try to keep Gaara alive?

"_I'll have to release the bunshin, then I'll have twice the chakra I do now_."

"What do you think you are up to?"

Sakura spun around at the familiar voice. From the carnage in the valley, Sasori emerged, walking towards her. A long scorpion like tail writhed in the air above him, but stayed trained on Sakura like a viper staring down prey. She supposed he was angry, but the last thing she was going to do was let him think she was intimidated by him.

"Just helping out, Sasori-sama," she shrugged, doing her best to act unconcerned. He seemed undeterred by her casual attitude.

"I should kill you for your impudence," his mechanical voice lowered to a growl as Sakura just raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Maybe later," she joked and tossed Kankuro's body over her shoulder, "I've got something to do, so I'll catch up with you."

As she turned to give him a sarcastically friendly wave, she noticed that his stance had changed and his tail was lowered.

"Do whatever you wish, girl," he chuckled a little, "Even Itachi won't be able to save you from _him_."

He didn't bother waiting for a reply and headed off into the desert. Once the dusty air had reduced him to a faint silhouette on the horizon, Sakura released the Kage Bunshin and entered the valley. The flood of new memories her clone had accumulated in her stead threatened to distract her, but she ignored them for the moment. She had to stay focused.

After leaning Kankuro against the wall, she knelt down to begin neutralizing the poison. Thanks to the potions kit Itachi had bought her, she had a decent supply of basic remedies already concocted, but none would be able to fully cure the poison that Sakura detected in Kankuro. It was one of the most complex and insidious toxins she had ever seen, but she wasn't about to admit defeat. Sakura was a potions expert after all.

She knew she wouldn't be able to fully heal him, but she would be able to buy him time and make him comfortable until Suna was able to get help from Tsunade or Shizune. Sakura pressed two empty vials against the back of Kankuro's hand and used her chakra to draw out a small pure sample of the poison for analysis. She left one for the medics to find, and the other she put back in her kit to analyze for herself later.

With the samples taken, Sakura worked on drawing out as much of the poison as she could. With most of the poison soaking into the sand at her feet, Sakura worked on healing the damage to Kankuro's body. After a few minutes, he was looking far more comfortable, and seemed to be resting peacefully. With a little luck, he would be just fine.

With one obstacle seen to, Sakura turned her attention to the wounded that littered the valley. Nearly a dozen Shinobi had been left to die, and some already had. Sakura examined each one, and realized from the patterns of the strikes and the lack of defensive wounds that someone had betrayed them. Akatsuki hadn't attacked the guards. They hadn't needed to. Someone from the inside had cleared the way for the S-class criminals.

Sakura quickly did her best to stabilize the wounded, but decided against trying to revive the dead. If it didn't work, it would be a huge waste of chakra, which she was going to need to save Gaara. She bit back tears of guilt. Would she ever be strong enough to save everyone? Was it too much to expect?

She had done the best she could without entering Suna itself and possibly revealing herself to someone. It was time to catch up with Gaara.

Sakura opened the third chakra gate, activated the time jutsu and headed after the Akatsuki. It wouldn't take her long at all to catch up, and the jutsu didn't seem to be wearing her out as much as she had expected. The third chakra gate may have been physically devastating and hard to control, but it was giving Sakura access to a reserve of chakra she didn't know existed within her.

She might not even need to use the life jutsu, which was encouraging, since she wasn't even sure it would work on a human yet. If she was careful, she would have more than enough chakra to simply keep Gaara alive during the extraction. Surely no one would begrudge her that, even Akatsuki's leader. What objection could they have to Sakura just making sure he lives?

"_As long as they get the bijuu, whether he lives or dies isn't their concern,_" she reassured herself as she ran full speed into the east.

Only minutes into her sprint, Sakura felt Gaara's weak chakra in the distance. The Akatsuki had started concealing their chakra to not draw the attention of any trackers, but they couldn't control the chakra of their unconscious prisoner. A quick scan of the area failed to reveal Sasori's location, but the strange bird carrying Gaara was impossible to miss against the cloudless blue sky. It was flying lower than it had been outside of Suna, and Sakura realized that it would be easy for her to reach with a simple chakra enhanced jump.

She planted her feet into the ground with a quick hop and went flying into the air. Everything was easier, Sakura realized, with time slowed so much. Things which would have taken immense effort were nearly effortless.

"_Force is based on mass and acceleration_," she mused with a grin as the bird came closer, "_Slowing time makes the acceleration larger, or just makes the same force need less acceleration_." It was yet another positive side effect of the time jutsu.

Sakura gently landed on the huge bird's back, right behind the lone Akatsuki. He was sitting with his legs crossed, slumped over slightly as if resting. His arms were tucked inside his cloak, but his left sleeve was bloodied and torn.

"_Glad he didn't get out of this unscathed_," Sakura snorted as she released the time jutsu.

Immediately aware of her sudden appearance, he turned around to glower at her. He didn't seem too surprised by her presence, though. He must have been expecting her.

"You noticed the kunai wasn't normal?" she asked before he could speak.

"I'm not retarded, hm," he muttered, but Sakura still heard him. She noticed him smirk almost imperceptibly.

"I tried to tell Danna that it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of you, hm" he grumbled, then turned back around and tried to ignore Sakura.

"You'd think he didn't want my help, or something," Sakura laughed over the gusts of wind and sat down near the bird's tail, relieved that she wouldn't be in for a fight, at least for a little while longer. She attached herself firmly to the strange artificial clay bird with some chakra to prevent herself from falling off or being swept away. The silence was uneasy, but he finally broke it.

"Help? Why are you helping us, hm?" he asked incredulously.

"_Make friends, Sakura_," she told herself, "_It'll make things easier later_."

"Why wouldn't I?" she nearly had to shout over the wind, "You guys are my teammates now. Speaking of which, are you wounded?"

He turned around again to scrutinize her, his one visible eye squinted in suspicion.

"…so, hm."

"I'm a medic-nin," she explained, "I'll heal you."

He didn't answer, but Sakura took the lack of objection as permission to approach.

"I don't think I've heard your name yet," she tried to ease the tension as she sat down next to him and placed a hand on his back near the bloodied sleeve. He stiffened immediately, and refused to relax. His piercing blue eyes stayed tracked distrustfully on Sakura, who was sitting to his right and quietly examining his wounds.

Eventually, he spoke, "…Deidara."

Sakura just smiled. Overall, he wasn't in bad shape, which was surprising considering that he was missing an arm. Sakura was amazed by his body's response to the trauma. He should have been in shock, but all of his vital signs were normal.

"_S-class shinobi_," she shook her head in amazement. So this was how much further she had to come.

"I can fix it," she reported, "but it's going to be painful."

"You can grow limbs, hm?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, but it takes a while, do you want me to do it?"

"… why not, hm."

Sakura smiled again, and set to work. Deidara was a good deal tougher than he looked, because even through the worst of the pain, all he did was wince a little. Most people, even most Shinobi, would have been screaming in pain from the procedure, but he was sitting as calmly as if she was just cleaning a cut. He stared at her face, Sakura supposed to help him focus past the pain and ignore the arm that she was rebuilding. Layer by layer, millimeter by millimeter, his arm reappeared.

Using his uninjured arm as a template, Sakura was even able to reproduce the unique chakra pathways and structures he had in his hands. The odd mouths in his palms were obviously chakra conducting structures, and Sakura marveled at their complexity. It was an innate part of his body, not a surgical addition, so as far as Sakura could guess, it had to have been a keikkei genkai.

"Okay," Sakura sighed after several hours, "All finished!"

He blinked a little and held up his new hand for inspection. As he flexed his fingers and tested the joints, Sakura scooted back over to the tail of the bird.

Sakura relaxed as much as she could as she stared out over the landscape stretching out below her. It was a beautiful view of the desert, and just peeking over the horizon Sakura could see the speckled greenery of the tree line that bordered the deserts of Wind Country and the forests of River Country. Her eyes lit up a little as she took the opportunity to forget her worries in the beauty of nature.

She looked up out of instinct when she thought she had heard Deidara say something.

"What?" she asked as she noticed him staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"… thanks, hm" he finally mumbled.

"You're welcome!" she shouted with a grin. He quickly turned his back to her again, and Sakura went back to admiring the scenery. Silence fell, but this time it was significantly more comfortable.

* * *

Once the border was below them, Sakura noticed a figure in the landscape. It was Sasori, and it seemed that Deidara had noticed him too. He stood and was about to leap off of the bird when he stopped abruptly and addressed Sakura.

"You should get off here, hm."

"What? Why?" Sakura asked.

"You can't come to the extraction site, hm. Danna said leader only tolerates you nosing around because Itachi said he would be responsible for you. I hear he was pretty mad that Itachi picked you up without permission anyway, hm. If he finds out you aren't with Itachi, or worse, that you've been acting on your own, he'll kill you, and probably at least maim Itachi. Not that I wouldn't want to see that, hm."

A look of utter confusion crept across Sakura's face. Without permission? Wasn't she kidnapped? Why did no one in Akatsuki know about why she was there? Unless, her assumption was completely wrong. Then why? Why had Itachi insisted on dragging her along with him?

Sakura blanched when it struck her. She wasn't a hostage. She wouldn't be able to use that position as leverage anymore. They really would kill her if she pushed them too far.

But she couldn't give up now. She was so close, and Gaara needed her. She had shed the coward from her persona. She would not back down. Ever.

Deidara eyed her warily, "Just go back to Itachi, hm."

"I can't," Sakura shook her head and squared her shoulders, "I have to help everyone. I promised I would. Please, just let me follow you. I won't make trouble."

She did her best to look hopeful, and smiled as politely as she could.

He slouched over, exasperated, "Fine, just don't cry at me when you get killed, hm."

"Yay! Thank you!" Sakura cheered.

With a perturbed huff, Deidara leapt down from the bird, and Sakura followed. The clay creature reduced its altitude and hovered unnaturally over the ground at the walking pace of its creator.

Sasori didn't seem pleased when he saw Sakura land next to Deidara with a broad grin on her face. He glowered at her as much as he could with his cold and lifeless eyes, but Sakura just kept on smiling. She wasn't as happy as she seemed, though. Her smile was carefully disguising her fear that her plan to save Gaara might leave her fighting for her own life, or worse, for Itachi's too.

The fact that her actions held consequences for him left her shaken and doubting her mission. When she had thought that the Akatsuki wanted her alive and that Itachi was acting on orders, she was emboldened into believing that she could get away with almost anything with minimal consequences. Now, she realized that all of her assumptions had been wrong, and the consequences were suddenly much more dire.

But her loyalty to her village had not waned. Her loyalty to her friends, especially Naruto, was a strong as ever. She would rather die trying to help them and the people they cared about, than live with the guilt of knowing that she could have done more. Sakura was not a coward. Not anymore.

* * *

"_Just you wait Sakura-chan! Just you wait!" _

_She smiled then. She always smiled, even if it was fake. Pretty smiles, the kind you can't tell hide sorrow unless you are looking for it. _

"_Just you wait… just …wait. Wait." _

_Always waiting, always watching from the sidelines. Not anymore. Never again. _

"_Sorry, Naruto-kun. No more waiting…_"

* * *

"_I just want you to know…That I love you, and I support you…They can't really hurt us, as long as we stick together… Smile, my Sakura-chan."_

_

* * *

  
_

And she did. Sakura smiled, a real, fearless smile. Her nervousness vanished, and her confidence returned, with vengeance.

"_Look out Akatsuki! Here comes Sakura! Shannaro!"_

"What are you looking so happy about, hm?"

She was startled out of her internal cheering by a slightly amused looking Deidara. He had fallen back from Sasori and turned around to peer at Sakura, who was following several meters behind. She just shrugged and tried to look innocent.

"You aren't plotting something, hm?" he accused with a small smirk.

Sakura realized that he was teasing her a little, and shot back jokingly, "Oh yeah, I am. Something convoluted and evil. You better watch out."

Deidara grinned, and began to laugh a little, but Sasori cut him off.

"Don't speak to her," he ordered with a growl.

Deidara just laughed sarcastically anyway, "Sorry, Danna. Ignoring her to make her go away doesn't work. I already tried that, hm."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. He flashed her a goofy looking grin and his hand stuck out its tongue. Sakura giggled and Deidara turned around to fall back in line beside Sasori.

"_He's not so bad after all,"_ Sakura decided as she walked behind the pair, _"Not so sure about Sasori, though. He's still a creepy ass."_

_

* * *

  
_

It didn't take long for the scrubby underbrush at the desert border to transform into more familiar thick forest. The longer they walked, the more familiar the area looked to Sakura. She was beginning to realize that the extraction site was closer than she had expected to the area where Itachi and Kisame were waiting. Since her clone had vanished, would they be at the extraction site looking for her?

Sakura could hear a soft trickle in the distance. The tree line thinned, and the group came to a narrow canyon, which had been carved out by a slow moving river. The walls were tall and narrow, but the water's edge was dotted with huge round boulders, which had fallen into the river from the cliffs above. Sakura stayed a respectful distance back while Deidara and Sasori approached one of the huge boulders. The clay bird carrying Gaara hovered obediently overhead. Sasori lifted a hand, and Sakura could see his ring glow even from a distance. Like the door in the tower in Ame, the huge boulder began to lift to reveal the entrance to a huge cavern. The Akatsuki strolled inside, and Sakura, after one last moment to steel her nerves, slipped in after them. The boulder rumbled closed behind them.

Inside, Sakura took a moment to adjust to the darkness, then surveyed her surroundings. Deidara's clay bird had vanished, depositing Gaara in the middle of the otherwise barren cavernous space. Sasori and Deidara were facing the only other thing in the room; a shadowy incorporeal figure of a man in an Akatsuki robe. The way that they gave him their undivided attention told Sakura that he was likely the leader she had been hearing about. He hadn't minded her being in Ame, maybe he wouldn't mind her being in the cave either. Most notably, however, was the absence of any other member. Even Kisame and Itachi weren't there.

"_So, we're going to be the only ones here? Does that mean that I might only have to defend myself against Sasori and Deidara, not all of Akatsuki?"_ Sakura hoped so as she approached the small group cautiously. Then again, everyone else might just be late.

"You're late," the shadow spoke.

"_Oh, good,_" Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief. The shadow figure's eyes darted to her, narrowed slightly, but then snapped back to Sasori. He didn't even acknowledge her.

"_Thank the gods! We're playing the 'I'm not paying any attention to you game'! My favorite!"_

Sakura slowly sat on the ground, in the hopes of communicating that she was perfectly content with being ignored. Deidara glanced back at her, then over at Gaara.

"The jinchuriki was pretty tough, hm. Managed to nab one of my arms," Deidara defended against the accusation of tardiness, and yanked on his bloodied torn sleeve as evidence.

"Your arm is not missing, Deidara," the shadow stated the obvious like he was speaking to a child.

"Yeah, no shit, hm," Deidara bristled a little at the tone, then jabbed a thumb back in Sakura's direction, "She healed it, hm."

The shadow glanced back at Sakura, this time with a little more intensity, and Sakura diverted her gaze to a random spot on the cave's wall as if she wasn't even listening.

"_You are so totally loosing the game,"_ Sakura joked to herself, and small smile crept onto her lips.

"Do not interfere with the extraction," the shadow ordered.

Realizing that the command was directed at her, Sakura looked him in the eye, gave a big grin, and nodded sincerely. The shadow turned and began to form seals.

"If she so much as moves from that spot," he spoke as he performed the jutsu, "kill her."

"Gladly," Sasori confirmed. Sakura glared daggers at the back of his head.

Deidara, though, to Sakura's surprise, just stiffened. He didn't even nod to acknowledge that he had heard the order.

Sakura smiled a little, "_Yeah, he's not so bad."_

The shadowy figure slammed a hand onto the ground, and Sakura realized that he had been preparing for a summoning jutsu. Within seconds, the ground began to rumble, and against the far wall a huge statue began to emerge. The huge demonic looking creature was bound by its hands and covered in bandages, and the roar of the splitting earth and falling rocks seemed to be emanating from it. It only emerged up to its shoulders, but it filled the cavern and was easily a hundred feet tall.

Sakura didn't dare gulp, but she couldn't help but gawk.

"Assemble," the shadow barked out another order, and Deidara and Sasori leapt up onto the statue's outstretched fingers. They were soon joined by more shadowy figures, one on each finger. Sakura thought she recognized two of them, and her suspicions were confirmed when one nodded at her.

"We were wondering where you got to, Hime-chan," Kisame's voice was distorted, but she still easily recognized him. Itachi, however, didn't even look her way.

"_Oh, great. He's mad at me,_" Sakura realized, but she smiled at Kisame nonetheless.

"That pink thing is with you!?" one of the other shadows that Sakura didn't recognize bellowed at Kisame, "Why the fuck does he get some chick that follows him around!? Seriously!"

"You haven't been here long enough for that perk, Hidan," Kisame teased and wiggled his pinky finger at the irate man.

"Oh, hell no!" Sakura snapped, "That is _not_ even funny, Kisame!"

All attention was suddenly on Sakura. Itachi finally glanced in her direction, and though she couldn't see his expression well, Sakura could tell that he was practically begging her to sit still and shut up.

"What have you been up to anyway?" Kisame asked her, and Itachi slowly turned to glare at him, but as usual, Kisame was unfazed.

"Just helping out," she chirped, "Deidara-kun was pretty badly hurt, so I healed him."

Itachi turned to glare at Deidara, but the blond was too busy staring in disbelief at Sakura to notice.

"It's a medic?" the shadow Kisame had called Hidan asked incredulously.

"Among other things," Kisame confirmed, "Don't let that cute face fool you, she's a monster under all that pink."

"Kisame," Itachi tried discretely to get the shark nin to be quiet. It didn't work.

"You should have seen the look on Itachi's face when she punched the shit out of him!" he was laughing too hard to notice Itachi growl his name again.

"You beat up Itachi, hm?" Deidara asked Sakura with an excited grin of admiration.

Sakura tried to brush it off, "Uh, no, well, sort of, I mean…. I healed him… eventually."

"He went flipping through the air-" Kisame began again, even louder than before, but was quickly cut off when he started dancing around and flailing like he was on fire, though the shadow projection revealed nothing.

"Ack! Alright! I'll shut up! Geeze, you could have just asked," he glowered at Itachi's shadow and patted at his backside in relief.

"Enough," the leader's voice filled the cavern suddenly. He hadn't yelled, but his tone was livid, and he left no room for argument, "The extraction will begin. It will take three days."

"_Three days? Ugh,"_ Sakura sighed. At least she was no longer the center of attention for the moment. She took the opportunity to ponder her next move.

Sasori, at the very least, would try to stop her if she wanted to get close to Gaara. If she had to fight him, she might be at a disadvantage, because she had no idea what techniques he knew aside from the poison he had used on Kankuro.

On the other hand, Miharu's scroll had said that the life jutsu could be performed without contact, but Sakura wasn't sure she would be able to. Maybe she would get a chance to get closer during the extraction, depending upon how distracted everyone would be.

The last option was the riskiest. She could stay put, and try to use the jutsu once Gaara was already dead. Not her favorite option. Then again, it was probably the least likely to get her killed.

"_I'll just keep an eye on his chakra from here, if it starts to look bad, I'll move in_," she decided.

As the statue began to emanate an eerie glow, Sakura looked up in curiosity. Itachi was giving her another pleading 'stay put' glare, and Sakura tried to smile back reassuringly, but when his eyes narrowed angrily, Sakura realized that her smile might have been a little bit patronizing.

"_He'll forgive me, sooner or later_," Sakura reassured herself.

She was distracted from her thoughts when the leader finally cast the jutsu, and everyone held their hands up in a seal to contribute their chakra. Suddenly, the statue's mouth snapped open and a ball of glowing chakra emerged. It spilled forwards, and split into nine dragon heads, which flew straight towards Gaara.

Sakura resisted the urge to run forward and block Gaara from the attack, but she realized that the chakra wasn't meant to cause physical damage. The heads wrapped around him like a huge writhing ball, and the glowing intensified. Slowly, his body began to levitate, and his head tilted back towards the statue. Chakra began to leak from his body through his mouth and eyes. It flowed up the chakra path formed by the dragon heads and into the gaping mouth of the statue.

Sakura concentrated and could tell that while the statue was mostly just removing the demon's chakra, it was accidentally taking a small amount of Gaara's chakra as well. For now, he was fine, but over the course of three days, it would definitely kill him. Was there a way to untangle Gaara's chakra from the demon's? If Sakura replaced Gaara's chakra with her own, would it leave him with enough to live? Would it leave her with enough to live?

* * *

The hours dragged by painfully. It was impossible to tell time in the darkness of the cave, and the watch Itachi had given her in the shinobi kit was becoming a double edged sword. The more often she looked at it, the longer each minute took. Nearly twelve hours into the extraction, a strange sound reached Sakura's ears. She cocked her head in confusion, then gasped in realization. Gaara was groaning.

"_He's in pain_?" she tried to get a closer look without moving. His mouth was open even wider, and the groaning was slowly escalating into screaming.

"An enemy from Konoha is approaching," a new voice interrupted the scene, though it was hard to hear him over Gaara.

Sakura blanched visibly, "_Konoha! Shit. I knew I shouldn't have deactivated the clone!_"

"Kisame," the leader wasted no time, "Use the prepared jutsu to eliminate the enemy, but leave at least thirty percent of your chakra for the extraction."

"No problem," he grinned maniacally, but quickly glanced down at Sakura and gave her a reassuring nod. He wasn't going to kill them.

Sakura smiled, _"Thanks, Kisame."_

The extraction continued, and despite his screaming, Gaara's chakra was still in the safe range. Sakura was reluctant to jump in, and was hoping that Gaara's chakra would last until nearer the end so anyone she would have to fight would be low on chakra themselves.

"There's more leaf nin," the same mysterious shadow informed the leader less than an hour later.

He nodded, "Who's next?"

"I am close to the location," Itachi suddenly spoke up, and began splitting his chakra without waiting for permission. Sakura looked up at him expectantly, but he refused to make eye contact.

Seemingly content with the decision, the leader did not protest. Sakura tried to take relief in the fact that Itachi would be the one fighting, since he seemed adverse to conflict in general. But she had made him mad, and maybe he wouldn't be so forgiving.

"_No, don't be stupid. Itachi would never do something to hurt me like that. He's just mad because I'm putting myself in danger, so I'm sure he'll go easy on them and just slow them down_," she shook off the fear and tried to focus on Gaara again.

The jutsu was intensifying, and more of Gaara's chakra was being sealed, along with the demon's. The statue's eyes were beginning to open, casting the cavern in an eerie red light that nearly overpowered the sealing chakra. The entire sight was altogether disturbing. It was what she had imagined when she was told about Akatsuki. This was what evil Shinobi looked like. Hanging out in caves and murdering people.

Sasori must have noticed the amount of attention Sakura had been giving Gaara, because his tail was trained on her again. He was concentrating on the jutsu, but was glaring at her as well. With the way things were going, Sakura was fairly certain she wasn't going to disappoint him.

"_You'll get your fight_," she smiled sweetly at him, and shifted her weight a little, just to mess with him. His tail followed her every subtle movement, and Sakura smiled a little more challengingly. Picking a fight with an S-class criminal probably wasn't a good idea, but Sakura was feeling restless, and Gaara's screaming wasn't helping.

She really needed to punch something.

After several more hours, there was no news about how the fighting with the Konoha shinobi was going. Sakura really wanted to know who exactly was coming to rescue Gaara, though she had a pretty good hunch that Naruto would be with them. As much as it ached, Sakura knew she couldn't let him see her. He was better off believing that she was dead.

Again, Sakura checked on Gaara. He had gotten quieter, and his screaming had been reduced to a choked rasping cry. He was getting tired, and about half of his chakra was gone. It had only been a day. She was going to have to step in soon.

She also noticed that the extraction seemed to be slowing down. Were the Akatsuki getting tired too?

"_No,"_ Sakura realized, "_Gaara is just resisting more now_." His chakra was so intertwined with the demon's, that as he defied the jutsu, the demon's chakra was also absorbed more slowly. It would now take two more days to do what so far had taken only one day. That was bad. The longer they lingered, the more likely Konoha would find them, and her.

Inspiration struck out of the blue. Sakura had her angle. If she used her chakra to keep Gaara's levels high, he wouldn't resist the jutsu as much, and since her chakra wasn't connected to the demon's, the process could go faster. Perfect.

"This is taking too long," Sakura stood and began to walk towards Gaara. All eyes turned towards her, and Itachi tried to will her to stop with a look alone. He was likely to try to stop her with a genjutsu, so she broke eye contact with him, reluctantly.

"I'm going to help speed things up so we can get out of here before Konoha interferes," she elaborated coolly as she reached the edge of the sealing chakra.

"I have very specific orders, girl," Sasori stated from his perch on the statue. Deidara, however, was trying to pretend that he hadn't noticed her. Was he disobeying orders for her sake?

Sakura suddenly felt movement behind her. Had Sasori planted a clone in the cave? She turned slowly, giving the impression that she was unconcerned, and saw a black caped figure practically flying towards her. She immediately slowed time, and observed her new enemy. The movements were unnatural, inhuman, very much like Sasori himself.

"_I've seen that before, but where_?" Sakura wracked her mind and eventually the memory brought her back to the Chunnin exams.

"_Kankuro..._" it finally dawned on her, "_His puppets move the same way. So, that thing flying towards me is a puppet? Sasori is a puppeteer? I wonder, is the Sasori on the statue a puppet too? Where's the real one_?"

With the knowledge that the person she was about to annihilate wasn't a human, she opened the second chakra gate and pulled her fist back.

With time slowed, it wouldn't take much effort.

With her chakra control, it wouldn't take much energy.

With one well-aimed punch, the unfortunate puppet disintegrated into tiny shards.

The larger pieces flew backwards towards the cave walls with enough force that they buried themselves several inches into the hard stone. The dust barely had time to settle when another figure flew towards her.

It was larger than the last, and as it approached, it opened its mouth and spewed out a thick black cloud. Sakura slowed time a little more so she could react without needing to hurry, and slipped behind the new puppet. The black cloud began to manifest into long iron spikes, and Sakura realized that the cloud was made up of tiny particles of metal. This puppet could control iron.

The spikes began to fly towards Sakura, intent on impaling her. It was surprisingly easy for her to bat them out of the air and send them flying towards the wall. Sasori hesitated for a moment, and Sakura took the opportunity to let time flow normally so she could talk. Encouraged by the ease of the conflict so far, Sakura's sassy side began to show.

"Are you done yet?" she asked in a bored but scolding tone, "Or are you going to keep making me waste my valuable medic chakra on spanking you?"

Sasori practically growled in anger. The others were openly gawking. Even Itachi had seemed to relax little.

With her enemy frustrated, Sakura rubbed it in and took advantage of the control she had over his reactions. He would make more mistakes if he felt like he was being made a fool of. Sakura rolled her eyes, and sighed like she was unimpressed. She saw his hands twitch before the puppet sprung back to life.

"Wait," the leader interjected, and Sasori's puppet froze in mid air.

Sakura turned to look up at the shadowy leader, curious about why he had stopped the fight.

He looked down at her, scrutinizing her with more thoughtfulness than he had before, "What exactly did you have in mind?"

* * *

A/N: Awwww, snap! I needed a fight! Sakura just NEEDED to hand someone's ass to them. It was short and totally not that satisfying, but it's there. There's really not enough action in this fic, ne? (That's because I'm not that good at it. Sshhh, don't tell anyone.) Don't worry, I have some much more epic fights planned in the future. I did my best to follow the timeline in the manga for these scenes, and wherever I'm not accurate, I'm going to blame it on artistic license. Not brain farts. NOWAI. As always, thanks for the feedback on the last chapter. I got some really awesome reviews! I'm so flattered! Until next time!


	9. Distractions

**Soutou "Struggle"**

**

* * *

  
**

**Chapter Eight: Distractions**

**Struggle – the act of trying hard to succeed but being unsuccessful.**

**

* * *

  
**

Sakura suddenly wasn't sure that she had heard him correctly, and afraid that she hadn't, didn't dare ask for clarification. Had the leader of Akatsuki really just asked her what her plan was? Did he really intend to let her help, or was it something else?

The leader's shadow, silhouetted by the glowing red eyes of the sealing statue, stared down at her intensely from his perch on the huge structure's thumb. Though his swift order had put an end to Sakura's potentially exhausting and dangerous fight with Sasori, Sakura knew that it wasn't trust or good will that was radiating down at her from his translucent but piercing eyes.

He couldn't possibly be taking her seriously, not so soon after he had ordered her to be killed for so much as moving, but certain that continued silence would betray her lack of confidence, Sakura cleared her throat and explained her plan.

"I'm a medic, right?" she began in a tone that sounded self-assured enough to her own ears, "So I can replenish chakra with my own. While extracting the demon chakra, you're removing some of Ga- … the jinchuriki's chakra too. At first it's fine, since he has a large chakra supply of his own, but as it dwindles, he begins to resist, because eventually it would kill him. If I keep his chakra levels high with my chakra, he won't resist as much, and since my chakra isn't attached to the demon's, the process will go faster. Imagine it being like you're pulling the demon out, and I'm pushing the demon out. It's actually really simple."

Sakura paused, but the leader didn't respond right away. She continued, choosing her words carefully, "The extraction will take less time, you know, so we can make sure no one disrupts the process, which could happen if we linger, since there are… enemy Shinobi in the area."

Finally, he spoke, "You are from Konoha yourself, correct?"

She did her best to not flinch. Hearing him say the name of her home village struck a chord that Sakura had been keeping buried underneath piles of duties and distractions.

Konoha.

She could be doing something completely different now. Instead of helping Akatsuki, she could be hindering them, and then when the Konoha Shinobi arrive to rescue Gaara, she could go home with them. But then what? She was presumed dead, but if the Daimyo and the council realized that she wasn't, they would remedy the situation, and Sakura knew it would be in a quiet and unassuming way.

"_My execution wasn't supposed to be private for my benefit, it was so no one would find out and try to stop it,_" she realized. Going back to Konoha was a death sentence. Even with the protection and support of her friends, the council would just bide their time and wait for an opportunity to make her disappear again. Letting her live, no matter how she redeemed herself, would be too much of a blow to the ego of the type of people who hired mercenaries to kill competitors' families.

The Daimyo and the council could no longer be trusted. She would never be able to return to her friends as long as they were a threat.

Sakura looked squarely at the Akatsuki leader and nodded, but corrected him, "I _was_ from Konoha. I'm a missing-nin now, and if I get caught and brought back to Konoha, they'll kill me, just like they were planning to do before I escaped. I'm sure you can imagine, that's a scenario I'd like to avoid."

Sakura had conveniently left out that her primary motivation for helping Akatsuki was actually to save Gaara's life, but the leader didn't press the issue, if he noticed it at all.

His eyes narrowed, as if was trying to see directly through Sakura, "… very well. Lend your… assistance."

Sakura perked up for an instant. He was actually going to _let_ her help.

"Thank you! I won't disappoint you!" Sakura chirped and punched her fist into the air in a very Lee-like display of exuberance. When it dawned on her that the level of excitement behind her outburst was a tad inappropriate, she blushed furiously and muttered some incoherent apology before scampering over to Gaara and kneeling beside him.

The chakra from the ongoing extraction swirled around her thickly enough to be felt by her skin, but it was innocuous and simply flowed over her like a stream of warm water. The sensation was odd but not uncomfortable, and Sakura was grateful. She was likely going to be spending at least another twenty four hours sitting inside the chakra, an act which would have been nearly impossible if it had been at all painful.

Sakura, finally able to lay a hand on Gaara without risking her life, immediately began to asses his condition and determine from where exactly the chakra was being removed. Luckily, it was flowing out from the first gate, backwards by normal standards. Sakura would be able to feed him chakra through the Death Gate. According to Miharu's Life Scroll, it was the easiest gate through which to add foreign chakra and still have it accepted by the body instead of violently rejected. It looked like she really was going to be able to heal him without reversing the outward flow of the extraction chakra.

With her chakra reserves running dangerously low, Sakura determined that she was going to have to open all three gates to have enough to support Gaara. Unsure how the extraction chakra surrounding her would react to her opening the gates herself, she slowly and carefully opened the first, second, and eventually the third chakra gates. The extraction continued unabated, and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She placed her hands gently over Gaara's stomach, and pushed a tiny bit of her chakra into his system. He reacted well, and Sakura pushed a little harder, going so far as to permeate his entire body and alleviate the pain of the extraction. His muscles relaxed, and his expression softened, until he looked as innocent as if he had fallen asleep with his eyes and mouth open.

Sakura allowed herself to relax a little as well, and she stretched her legs out underneath his hovering body. With her own chakra beginning to bolster Gaara's reserves, the extraction began to go faster, just as she had predicted. Gaara wasn't resisting, and the demon had no more purchase to claw its way back into Gaara's body.

After several hours, Sakura was beginning to feel significant drain on her own chakra, and the monotony of the jutsu was making it hard to concentrate. But she could not let her mind wander. She needed to stay focused, and she needed to stay on her guard.

She checked Gaara's vital signs again, and had to bite back a gasp of shock when she noticed his eyes staring straight at her. He was supposed to be unconscious, with his eyes rolled back in his head so far only the white showed, but his misty green eyes were fixed right on her.

"C-c_an he… see me_?" Sakura cursed herself for assuming that the extraction had rendered him unconscious. His brows furrowed again, and after darting around at the rest of the room, his pupils dilated in fear. His muscles tensed as if he was trying to struggle.

"No, no, it's okay," Sakura whispered to him, mimicking the tone her mother had used when Sakura had hurt herself or had a nightmare, "You're safe."

It was all she could do without stopping the extraction or alerting the Akatsuki to the problem. She cooed gently and slowly, "Everyone is safe. Just relax, no one is going to hurt you. I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'm here to protect you… We're helping you, really. You never liked your demon, right? Soon, he'll be gone, and you'll get to go home and be with the people you love, and be the Kazekage with your own strength."

Her reassurance seemed to have an effect, and his expression eventually softened, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp again. Sakura sighed in relief, and a little in exhaustion. Hopefully, he would have no recollection of the extraction, or Sakura's soothing words.

* * *

Sakura squeaked and jumped a little when Kisame's voice suddenly echoed through the cavern. She had almost entered a meditative state in the hopes of slowing her chakra drain, or at least passing the time more quickly, but Kisame had ruined that plan.

"My clone dude thing got taken out," he stated a little sourly, "Damn kids don't know how to make the fun last."

A few minutes later, Itachi also spoke, "My doppelganger was destroyed as well. The Leaf have the aid of a tracker, and will locate the trail soon."

The Akatsuki Leader seemed unconcerned but nodded in confirmation, "The extraction at the current pace should be done well before they arrive, but should a conflict still occur during the evacuation, we will need to be prepared. Were you able to identify the Shinobi?"

"Yeah," Kisame groaned, "The leader is that Maito Gai jerk wad, and his little team of miscreants included a creepy little clone of him, a Hyuga, and some girl."

"_No! Lee, Tenten, please, don't come here_!" Sakura fought for composure, knowing that showing her personal attachment to the Konoha Shinobi could be fatal. She had been hoping that the team sent to help Gaara would be unfamiliar to her, but she also knew that if the situation was made public in Konoha that their mutual friends would be the first Shinobi to volunteer for the rescue.

"The Jonin leader is Hatake Kakashi," Sakura blanched a little at Itachi's detached report, and prayed that Kakashi was the last familiar name on that team.

If there was a conflict, Sakura was torn on how she would react. She was staring chakra exhaustion in the face and would be unable to fight and unable to stop any fights. What could she do aside from scream as the people she had loved for years killed and were killed by the people she needed to learn to trust and had already began to care for. Would she ever be able to look Itachi in the eye again if he killed Kakashi-sensei? Would she ever be able to smile at Kisame again if he killed Lee?

"He is accompanied by one of his dog summons which serves as the tracker, a medic by the name of Shizune, Elder Chiyo of the Sand, and-" Itachi had barely paused, but it was enough to make Sakura's heart stop.

"… Uzumaki Naruto, the kyuubi."

Sakura's throat constricted, and it was suddenly very hard to breathe. She should have known, she could have guessed it. In a way, she already had. She knew Naruto enough to know that if he had returned to Konoha recently and heard about Gaara's abduction, that no force in the world would stop him from coming to save his friend. For that same reason, Sakura knew that she couldn't let herself be seen by anyone from Konoha. Naruto would hunt her down and drag her home, likely unaware of the real reason for her faked death, with nothing but the best of intentions. It was the same promise he had made to her about retrieving Sasuke, and it was too much for one person. She wouldn't dare put that much of a burden on him. She loved him too much for that. Unable to stop the growing knot of worry in her stomach, Sakura's hands started to tremble.

"Another jinchuuriki, hm?" Deidara grinned at the prospect of another mission, and Sakura's respect for him fell a notch. She still didn't trust or like him quite well enough to not bash his head in if he so much as touched Naruto.

"It's too bad we'll be done so soon," Sasori lamented, "I would have loved to have given my dear grandmother a parting gift."

Sakura tried her best to focus on treating Gaara, to still her shaking hands, but her nerves just wouldn't settle. She stared straight ahead, trying to look detached, trying to look as if exhaustion alone was the reason for her behavior.

"There is no need to pursue the kyuubi at this point," the Leader interjected, taking the wind out of Deidara's sails, "Preparations have not been made, and he would need to be detained for a lengthy period, which would be an unnecessary headache considering his apparent propensity to come looking for us instead."

Sakura choked back tears of relief. At least they weren't actively hunting Naruto yet, which meant that the instant the extraction was over, they would all be leaving. Her confidence returned a little, and she turned her attention back to Gaara with renewed determination.

It finally looked like things were going to go as Sakura had planned. Better even, considering that she had managed to win a little bit of favor with Akatsuki's Leader, which would come in handy as she continued her mission to protect Konoha. If she garnered a reputation for having Akatsuki's best interests in mind, the motives behind her actions would be questioned less, giving her a little more free reign as she worked to destroy the organization from the inside. She may never be able to return home, but at least she would be able to protect them.

As the extraction progressed for many more painfully slow hours, the sealing statue's eyes slid open further, until they were wide and gaping, filling the cavern with an almost blinding red light. When Sakura felt the last of Gaara's original chakra finally fade, the glow from the extraction chakra slowly retreated back into the creature's mouth, which immediately snapped shut with an ear splitting crash. Gaara fell out of the air, and landed in Sakura's lap, and she immediately used the last of her chakra to make sure he would stay asleep until the Akatsuki had gone and his rescuers had arrived.

She slipped him off of her lap gently, and folded his hands over his chest in a respectful position. He was breathing calmly, and looked well rested for once. Sakura on the other hand, was an exhausted wreck. She stood slowly, her legs cramping slightly from the hours upon hours of tense immobility, and stretched as much as her tight chakra drained muscles would allow. Standing took a surprising amount of effort, but the tension in the room and the desire to maintain her strong façade kept Sakura alert and deceptively energized.

"The sealing was successful. You all have your individual orders to continue now," the shadowy leader looked down at Sakura and Gaara in the middle of the cavern. She could feel his calculating gaze but tried to act unconcerned as she mechanically rubbed down her sore muscles. What would he want done with Gaara?

"…dismissed," he immediately flickered out before Sakura had a chance to try to read his tone or expression. That was it? He had no further orders about Gaara?

Itachi and Kisame's shadows soon faded and Sakura knew they were coming straight to the cavern to get her. One by one, the other Akatsuki departed, and the sealing statue sunk into the earth again and vanished without a trace.

"What do we do about him, hm?" Deidara pointed towards Gaara as he and Sasori approached from across the cave.

Sakura shrugged, "Just leave him, I guess. We got what we came here for."

"_You_ are not _we_," Sasori corrected, and before Sakura could react, his scorpion-like tail lashed out across the remaining distance and wrapped itself firmly around her neck. Sakura had seen the attack coming, but knew that neither her body nor her jutsu would be able to stop him anymore. Completely exhausted, Sakura just dangled helplessly as he lifted her by the neck, desperately trying to not look surprised or pained by the sudden attack.

"Danna! What the hell, hm!?" Sakura could hear Deidara arguing with Sasori, though the lack of blood flow to her head was beginning to affect her hearing. The world became muffled, and the edges of her vision started to fade to black. The arguing S-class criminals' voices barely registered as Sakura struggled to maintain consciousness.

"…_little annoyance…"_

"… _leader would be mad..."_

"…_not so tough anymore…"_

"…_sore looser…"_

Finally, Sasori's grip loosened and Sakura fell towards the ground. She managed to regain her balance to catch herself on her feet, but almost immediately sunk down to her knees. She resisted the urge to clutch at her throat or cough, and instead looked about calmly, as if she had been planning to collapse onto the ground of her own accord the entire time. Letting Sasori think that he had shaken her was something Sakura's bruised ego couldn't fathom.

Sasori slinked away, towards the cave entrance, but Deidara stayed standing beside her, eying her with some concern. Eventually, he reached down and offered a hand to help her up. Reluctantly, but with a grateful smile, Sakura took his arm and let him pull her to her feet.

"Someone is approaching," Sasori suddenly growled.

Sakura strained with all of her might to sense for chakra in the forest outside. Several chakra signatures were nearing the cavern, but they were too small and too many to be Itachi and Kisame. She focused and tried to identify the newcomers without revealing her own chakra. Her exhaustion made it difficult, but after a few tense seconds of concentration, her worse fear was realized.

Most of the chakra signatures were weak with exhaustion, but one still stood out from the group. Naruto.

"They must have traveled through the night at full speed to have arrived here so soon," Sasori observed with a hint of excitement in his voice, "Perhaps I should pay my dear grandmother a visit, since she took the effort to come all the way out here."

"Is there a back door?" Sakura asked, trying not to sound frantic, "We need to leave undetected."

"Are you kidding, hm?" Deidara grabbed her by a shoulder and shook her playfully, "They feel like they've been through the wringer way worse than we have, hm. We'll just plow a path right through them, they don't stand a chance, hm!"

Sakura turned on him, worry etched on her features, "No, no. You don't understand Deidara. I can't be seen. If they see me… they'll know I'm not dead. I'm supposed to be dead to them."

His playful mood vanished the instant he saw the look on her face, and he gave a dejected sigh before relenting, "There isn't a back door, but I'll make one, I guess, hm."

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Sakura gave him a quick hug, and he immediately pushed her off of him with a yelp of surprise. He jogged towards the back wall of the cavern with his hands in the pouch at his side.

Deidara pushed some clay into a crevice at the top of the back wall of the cave in an area where the roof was thinnest. He turned and gave Sakura a maniacal looking grin, "All ready, hm!"

He rejoined her in the middle of the cave and shot a glare at Sasori's back, "Come on Danna, hm."

Sasori stubbornly didn't respond, and Sakura was flustered and angry enough to antagonize him without fully appreciating the possible consequences.

"Dammnit Sasori, you're going to get yourself killed if you stay behind by yourself! They may be weakened, but they'll gang up on you, idiot!" she gripped Deidara's sleeve for some reassurance as her ego prodding finally got his attention.

He glared at her and grumbled something incoherent, but Sakura thought she caught a few words along the lines of 'want to kill you first anyway'.

Deidara was busy molding something else in his hands. He chuckled as he tossed the little clay bird onto the ground and it immediately expanded with a puff of smoke. It wasn't as large as the first one Sakura had seen, and it was sleeker, which told Sakura that it was built more for speed. She found herself mentally thanking Deidara for his foresight.

A large chakra spike outside caught her attention, and she spat out a few profanities when she recognized the source. Naruto had concentrated a huge amount of swirling chakra, and was running full speed towards the cave entrance. With his seemingly infinite chakra levels, he would easily be able to blast a hole right through the boulder and into the cave. Sakura quickly pulled out her cloak and hat, intent that if Naruto did see her, he would assume that she was just another member of Akatsuki.

"Any time Deidara-kun!" Sakura shouted at the blonde as she buttoned her cloak. He was glowing with pride at his own creation, seemingly oblivious to the enormity of the situation.

"Don't rush the artist, hm! Perfection takes time!" he countered hotly.

"Just get us the fuck out of here!" Sakura hollered, her temper flaring.

Deidara stuck out a hand tongue at her, and with a crazed gleam in his eyes, brought his hands together again in a single seal, "Katsu!"

The entire earth seemed to shake with the force of the explosions. Rocky debris filled the air and a huge amount of swirling blue chakra writhed through the cave. Sakura realized that Naruto had made it through the boulder in a single hit.

"Gaara! Where the hell is he, you bastards?!" she heard him screaming over the falling debris as the cave nearly collapsed under the force of the simultaneous explosions.

"…_Naruto,"_ Sakura dug her nails into her palms as the urge to run over to him and throw her arms around him clouded her judgment. She squeezed her fists harder, and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"_Just get out of here_," she told herself as she let Deidara help her up onto the clay bird's back. Sasori immediately followed, perched at the very tail end of the creature, obviously irate about having to use one of Deidara's techniques to escape. The dust was beginning to settle, and Sakura could see light streaming in from both newly formed holes in the cave.

"Hold on, hm!" Deidara ordered and Sakura grabbed hold of his arm because she knew she didn't have enough chakra to attach herself firmly to the fast moving bird.

"You won't get away!" she heard Naruto threaten as he charged towards them. Deidara's bird reared back, its wings spread.

"Monsters!" Naruto screamed and his chakra flared with an intensity Sakura had never felt before.

"…_Monsters?_" She clutched her chest as she was suddenly wracked with pain. But she wasn't wounded. The ache spread up into her throat, and pushed its way out through her eyes. Her vision blurred with tears from the searing pain in her chest. Her heart beat erratically in her ears and she could barely make out the other frantic voices in the cave.

"Where's Gaara!?"

"…_Shizune?_"

"There! He's alive!?"

"…_Kakashi-sensei_?"

The bird threw itself towards the hole in the ceiling, and with a single flap of its huge wings, was gone.

* * *

Sakura wasn't sure how much time it had taken for the searing pain in her chest to fade to a dull ache. She sat behind Deidara, still clutching his arm to steady herself as the swift clay bird swooped over the landscape searching for Itachi and Kisame. They hadn't been followed by any Konoha Shinobi, and Sakura assumed it was because everyone was too concerned about Gaara first to bother chasing them. By the time they would realize that Gaara was fine, the clay bird would be well out of their range and impossible to catch.

Fatigue threatened to force Sakura's eyes closed, but she was much too tense to allow herself to be lulled into unconsciousness, no matter how tempting the notion sounded. She also refused to cry in front of the men with whom she shared the small space on the back of the bird. Deidara was alright in her book, but showing any weakness in front of Sasori just sounded like a death sentence at the moment.

In any case, it wasn't like crying was going to make her feel any better about her brush with her once best friend. Naruto hadn't known it was her, but something about him calling her a monster still made Sakura feel nauseous. Even if she did get to see him, or Ino-pig, Kakashi-sensei, Lee-kun, or Shishou again, would they just hate her for willfully having anything to do with the Akatsuki? What would they think if they found out she had been helping the enemy, even if it was just to make it easier for her to help Gaara? Would they assume she was evil? Would they ever forgive her?

But what did any of that matter? Sakura crushed down the hope of ever returning to Konoha with what little emotional strength she had left. She was going to have to face the fact that things would never be the same. This wasn't some week long mission where she would return to Konoha and pick up exactly where she had left off. She was a missing-nin, and Konoha considered her an enemy, even though her intentions were good.

She would never serve another hospital shift treating friendly civilians. She would never again train with Tsunade or Shizune. She would never bicker with Ino again. She would never again spar with Lee. She would never again sit beside Naruto at the ramen stand. She could never go home to her mother. She didn't have a home to return to anymore.

The clay bird suddenly jerked to the side and descended rapidly into a clearing in the forest. Sakura was too weakened to sense chakra anymore, but she immediately recognized the Akatsuki cloaks standing out against the surrounding greenery.

Itachi and Kisame approached the bird as it landed. Kattan toddled behind the pair, her entire back end wagging in excitement. Sakura relinquished her grip on Deidara's sleeve and scooted over to the side of the bird. With her chakra nearly gone she couldn't keep a grip on the clay surface, and she slipped right off the edge and into Itachi's arms. He immediately set her feet on the ground, but didn't let her go completely. Kattan circled around the pair, waiting for her chance to greet Sakura herself.

Sakura hid her face in Itachi's slightly open cloak to avoid having to look him in the eyes. Though his expression and body language was relaxed, his aura was quite clearly pulsating with rage. Even the angry aura she had felt in the little seaside village Inn during their first almost encounter was nothing compared to the raw anger she felt now. She froze, unsure what he would do in such an emotional state.

He reached up and knocked the Akatsuki hat off of her head. She was scared, but didn't dare try to step out of his grip. Itachi wouldn't hurt her…right? Sakura could feel the intensity of his gaze over the side of her face and her neck, and when he gently ran his fingers over her jaw line, she finally realized what he was so extremely upset over.

"_He knows Sasori attacked me again? I knew I would bruise a little, but it must be pretty bad."_

Sakura smiled into his shirt a little. He wasn't mad at her. He was mad at Sasori. While she slightly resented him stepping in on her account, she couldn't help but feel a little vindicated. Sasori was gonna get it!

As Itachi examined her bruises, Sakura breathed in a sigh of relief. She had admittedly missed him, and felt extremely guilty over not telling him her plans. She had been afraid she had ruined what little chance of… whatever it was that they sort of had… ever becoming… more of whatever that was…

In any case, Sakura took the moment to just relax into Itachi's arms and let herself enjoy… whatever it was.

"A word with you in private… Sasori," Itachi's usually cool monotone was deep and dangerous sounding, the closest thing to a snarl Sakura had heard out of him yet. The fact that Itachi had intentionally dropped the honorific 'sama' was not lost on Sasori as he scowled down at him.

"I have nothing of importance to speak with you about," Sasori responded.

"It was not a request," Itachi corrected slowly, as if scolding a child. He gently handed Sakura over to Kisame who had been standing nearby and Kattan immediately leapt up to try to lick Sakura in the face. Itachi strolled into the tree line, wordlessly expecting Sasori to follow. Eventually, Sasori left the back of the bird and reluctantly caught up with Itachi.

"How you doing, Hime-chan?" Kisame asked as he helped her slowly sit down in the soft sun-warmed grass. Kattan flew into Sakura's lap and began rolling around and snorting in joy.

"I'm fine, just exhausted," she confirmed with a smile as she tussled the puppy's belly fur.

"I'm not sticking around for whatever is going down between those two, hm," Deidara informed them and waved briefly to Sakura before taking off again on the back of his clay bird. Sakura waved back with a sad smile as she watched him fade into the distance.

"I'm actually going to miss the psychopath a little," she admitted to Kisame. He chuckled a little as he lowered himself down to sit beside her.

"You really had lover boy worried," Kisame informed her, "He was a mess, though he'd never admit it. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Itachi? A mess? Wow," Sakura huffed in disbelief. She reached down into the grass and pulled out a tiny flower. As she examined the delicate structure, she finally answered.

"Lots of reasons, I guess. Some, not very good ones either… I guess part of me just wanted to prove that I could accomplish something on my own, that I was strong enough… and I wasn't sure if you guys would trust me with that. I was quite certain that Itachi would have done anything to stop me if he had known exactly what I had planned," she gazed up at Kisame, who was listening quietly. Even Kattan had stopped rolling around and was watching Sakura with interest.

"I sort of like the fact that he cares, but I also want respect, at least enough to be allowed to make my own mistakes if I want to. I'm not a child, I'm a Shinobi too, and an okay one at that," Sakura paused as Kisame started laughing.

"What's so funny!?" Sakura demanded.

"An okay, one?! Seriously?" he took a second to laugh it off as Sakura glared at him.

"Hime-chan," he finally continued after he had managed to stop laughing, "You are way better than okay! You hold your own, even against S-class missing-nin like Itachi and Sasori. In case you've forgotten, they both had their asses handed to them by you, and you went and rubbed their noses in it too! We should start a club!"

Sakura began laughing at the absurd suggestion. Kisame stretched his hand out in front of himself as if envisioning a huge banner, "We'll call it The 'I'm a big scary man who's gotten my ass kicked by a little pink haired fourteen year old girl' Club."

"I'm fifteen!" Sakura corrected, and Kisame held up his hands in apology.

"Sorry, little pink haired _fifteen_ year old girl."

Sakura yawned, the calmer mood finally beginning to settle her nerves. Between the effects of chakra exhaustion, the soothing warmth of the sun and relative safety of Kisame and Kattan's company, Sakura found it nearly impossible to stay alert. Eventually, she relented, and leaned back against Kisame's broad shoulder. He didn't flinch or push her off as she drifted off to sleep. As the world faded into the background, Sakura found herself thinking one final thought.

"_I guess, for now… this is the closest thing. For now… right here… is home."_

* * *

Everything was different when Sakura woke up. Kisame was gone, but Kattan was curled up next to Sakura, who was curled up herself on a sleeping mat. Her chakra levels were nearly normal again, though she was hungry and still a little drowsy. She checked herself over with a quick flash of medical chakra, and found that her bruises had healed themselves already.

A small fire was burning down to ash against the leeward side of a huge boulder nearby. The canopy overhead was thick, shielding the small camp site from the sun and from prying eyes. Sakura sat up, and scanned the area for signs of Itachi or Kisame. They couldn't have gone far, especially since neither would leave her alone for very long.

Eventually, just as Sakura had predicted, Itachi stalked silently into view from the surrounding thick forest. He was carrying a pack of freshly gathered food, and only gave Sakura a cursory glance before approaching the small fire.

"How long have I been asleep?" Sakura ventured to break the silence as Itachi tended the fire.

"Three days," he responded mechanically.

"Oh, wow! No wonder I have to pee so bad," Sakura chirped as she leapt up to take care of business. Itachi turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, as if Sakura wasn't fully aware that her last statement was entirely too much information. She had just been trying to break the tension after all.

Sakura wandered into the forest, and noticed a small stream which was just deep enough for a bath. On her way back to camp, she stopped there first, and washed herself quickly, grateful for the opportunity to rinse out the last of the sand and grit that had accumulated in her hair from Suna and the cave explosions.

When she reentered the camp after her errands, the food that Itachi had been preparing was done. He had set out a separate plate for her, and was already digging into his own. Kisame still wasn't around, and Sakura offhandedly asked about him as she sat down next to Itachi and began to eat.

"Looking for sake in the nearest village," Itachi replied.

"How far is it?"

"Several days."

Sakura then decided that Kisame must have been just as much of an alcoholic as Tsunade to have bothered going several days out of his way just for a little bit of sake.

The silence that fell as they ate wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but Sakura could tell that something was bothering Itachi. She wasn't sure how she knew. It could have been his aura, or the fact that he refused to make eye contact that gave it away, but Sakura just sat by and quietly waited for Itachi to bring it up.

Eventually, once his plate was empty and he had nothing to distract himself with, Itachi spoke. His voice was quiet and detached, but not hesitant.

"You are to inform me of your plans from now on," he stated. Sakura gripped her thin metal plate with concealed rage. How dare he give her orders like that!?

"_Calm down,"_ Sakura reminded herself, _"He's just so infuriatingly blunt because he's socially retarded."_

"Why," she countered coolly, once she had talked herself out of throttling him, "So you can stop me?"

"No," he denied, and finally looked up to meet her eyes, "So I can lend my assistance if required."

Sakura stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head for several minutes before she managed to ask, "Are you saying… you would have helped me save Gaara? But… what if that meant going against orders?"

"That concept is nothing new to me," he answered cryptically.

"_Does that mean he's disobeyed orders before? I wonder what for?"_ Sakura examined his expression, and noticed his eyes narrow slightly as he privately recalled the past. Would he ever share those thoughts with her?

"_Wait a second!"_ Sakura realized as she scrutinized him, _"There are tons of things he hasn't told me! Starting with the entire reason he demanded that I follow him. I can't have any secrets, but he's just full of them? I don't think so!"_

"Fine," Sakura relented, but quickly continued, "Under one condition."

Itachi nodded curtly to signify that he was listening.

"You are to inform me of your plans from now on," she stole his line and threw it right back at him. His eyes narrowed and he looked away suddenly. He didn't respond after several minutes, and Sakura decided to give him an example to encourage his decision.

"For instance, when you decided to string me along, you didn't tell me why! I assumed the wrong thing, which was later disproved by other members of Akatsuki, and the leader himself, but I had been banking on the theory. I assumed that I was bait for Naruto, and the others knew about it, so when I put myself in that situation, I though I was safe for the sheer fact that kidnappers don't kill the bait!" she was yelling now, and letting her frustration out was proving to be cathartic, "If I had known, that there was some other reason, I would have been way more careful, or maybe even included you from the beginning!"

Further enraged by his limited response to her rant, Sakura jabbed him in the chest and cussed him out a little more. Itachi shut his eyes, and sighed deeply, "Calm yourself…I understand. It seems the solution would be to agree that from now on, we will not willfully keep potentially relevant information from one another. In short, we will keep each other involved."

Satisfied that she had won some tiny victory against cold aloof Itachi, Sakura nodded and extended her hand for him to shake, "Agreed."

Maybe now, he would let down a few barriers and actually tell her things that were important to him. Slowly, she felt like she was chipping away at the emotionless shell he had armored himself with and was getting at some of the genuine Itachi.

He took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he pulled her forward. She toppled into him, and he captured her lips with his. Sakura squeaked in the back of her throat in surprise. He kissed her gently, almost awkwardly and, after only a few seconds, he pulled away.

"Agreed."

Sakura was blushing furiously. After several minutes he hadn't stopped staring at her. He leaned back against the rock and settled in as if he had every intention of staring her down for eternity. Sakura tried to continue the conversation to distract herself from the intensity of his gaze.

"So… then… why?" Sakura managed to ask once she had regained her composure, "Why am I here?"

"Your reasons are your own, correct?" he responded with a question of his own.

"Now they are," Sakura confirmed, "But before, you made me think I wasn't allowed to leave. Why?"

Itachi looked away and his expression darkened. Sakura hated to kill the mood that their sudden, though all too brief, kiss had created, but the question had been chewing away at the back of her mind since Deidara had told her that she wasn't any interest of Akatsuki's.

"That is now irrelevant," his tone was short, and while he didn't elaborate, he did clarify a little, "The situation has changed such that the point it moot."

Sakura saw him set his jaw as if he was trying to weld his mouth shut, and she knew that she wasn't going to be able to pry any more out of him.

"You are by far the most frustrating man I have ever met," she observed hotly.

He only smirked a little in response.

"_Damn you! You think you're so cute! You think you can get away with anything, don't you!?"_ Sakura glared at him, and with a final frustrated huff, slinked back over to the sleeping mat to lie down next to Kattan again.

She stretched out on her back, her arms tucked behind her head, and started up at the sunlight dappled canopy overhead. Occasionally, a gentle breeze would jostle the leaves, or a bird would flick past her field of vision. The serenity made it hard for her to stay mad, but just as she had finally let go of the subject in her own mind, Itachi spoke up with a question of his own.

"Why did you heal me?" his tone was light, almost conversational, as if he was asking about the weather. Sakura knew he was just trying to not make the question sound like a confrontation or interrogation.

"_I don't get an answer from him, but he wants one from me? Asshole,"_ she cussed to herself but couldn't help but turn the question over in her mind. She didn't sit up or turn to look at him as she finally came to a realization.

"You know… I don't really know. Not exactly," she admitted. The breeze picked up, and a small green leaf drifted down from the trees and landed in her hair, but she didn't reach over and flick it away.

Why had she healed him? She was the one who had hurt him, after all. She had been trying to kill him.

But Sakura was no killer. It took eminent danger for her to toss aside her ever present conscious and even wound a person, even an enemy Shinobi. It was an inhibition that had in the past made Sakura doubt her choice to be a Shinobi. Once she became a medic though, her forgiving and nurturing side had fit perfectly, and she had largely forgotten about it. Until she found herself staring a severely wounded man in the eyes.

Kattan had been a major force in convincing her to not kill him. The puppy's behavior and apparent affection for Itachi had made Sakura doubt her conviction that he was plain and simple evil. In retrospect, Kattan had been so very right.

But even then, she should have just healed him enough so he wouldn't die and then run away. But instead she healed him completely, going so far as to exhaust herself with the effort and fall asleep practically on top of him. As if she trusted him, and hadn't only recently tried to liquefy his head.

Sakura found herself running in mental circles, and looked down at Kattan, who was awake and watching Sakura think with intense curiosity.

"What do you think, Ka-chan? Do you know why I healed him?" she asked the puppy with a warm smile. Kattan barked with excitement, an expression that Sakura couldn't help but read as 'Yes! Of course I do!'

"You do? Then... why?" Sakura asked in bewilderment. Kattan whimpered, and licked Sakura's hand gently before placing her head across Sakura's chest and curling up against her side. Sakura petted Kattan gently, and realization struck Sakura like lightning out of a clear blue sky.

"The same reason I risked my life to save Ka-chan," she shook her head in disbelief.

She really was a little selfish. Taking such a chance, such a risk, for herself and her village, just because she was lonely and scared. She had been more afraid of being alone than of dying.

Itachi had moved over closer to her, and was sitting with his knees against his chest on the sleeping mat next to hers. She hadn't noticed him move while she was thinking, but she turned to look at him as she struggled to find the words to explain it to him.

"Almost immediately after I had fled Konoha, I ran into some…really bad people. They… hurt me, pretty badly. I was all alone, scared, and starting to prefer death over living, since then, at least, it wouldn't hurt anymore."

Sakura took a deep shaky breath as she ran her fingers through Kattan's thick black fur.

"Kattan was hurt badly, and so was I. I was near death as it was, but I used what was left of my chakra to heal her, not because I really thought I would be able to, but because I would have rather died than been alone again after… what had happened. Somehow, it was a miracle, we both lived."

Itachi reached over and patted Kattan too, before taking Sakura's other hand and tangling his fingers in hers. His expression hadn't changed, and he refused to make eye contact, but Sakura smiled at the gesture and at his slight embarrassment over his own actions.

"When you and Kisame stumbled into me, I was terrified. But you recognized me, you knew my name, and you were both kinda nice to me, even from the beginning. Not cruel at all, anyway. I think I was just grateful for a little company. I was afraid of you, but I wasn't afraid of anyone else anymore either."

Sakura reflected on the information a little, and tried to read Itachi's expression to see how he would respond to the revelations about their first meeting. He only sat by patiently, obviously giving her his full attention, even though his gaze was fixed on a far off rock.

"I only tried to kill you out of a sense of duty to my village. Really, I only talked myself into trying because I thought it would be best for the village, not because I had any desire to myself. I think, if you had been a complete stranger to me, I wouldn't have ever tried it. I guess my healing you was more like… me taking it all back and trying to apologize so we could go on like you wanted, and I wouldn't be alone anymore."

Content that she had answered the question fully, Sakura fell silent, waiting for Itachi's response. He stretched out and leaned back, his fingers still intertwined with hers. He pressed his shoulder up against hers, and he pushed himself over to the edge of his mat until their legs were touching as well. He then tucked his free arm behind his head and closed his eyes.

The blush was back on Sakura's cheeks with a vengeance. She gazed down at Kattan, who was still curled up against her.

"_Thanks, Ka-chan_," she thought, and Kattan gave a happy snort before closing her eyes and dozing off.

"Thank you… for healing me," Itachi whispered, his eyes still closed. Sakura gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"You won't ever be alone again," he promised.

Sakura laughed softly and joked, "Is that a threat?"

"Please," Itachi deadpanned, "I'm the one who suffers."

"Jerk," Sakura yanked on his arm and squeezed his hand again, but this time anything but gently. He smirked a little, and Sakura tilted her head until it rested on his shoulder. After a few minutes of relaxed silence, Sakura gently drifted off for a pleasant nap.

* * *

A/N: The longest chapter yet! Sort of transitional, since the Gaara arc is over, and there will be a new adventure soon. Some fluff for your enjoyment, but just a tad. I took the time to elaborate on some points in the story, to respond to some concerns based on reviews. I hope I answered everyone's questions sufficently. I promise, most of the questions or 'things that don't make sense' are on purpose right now and I have a very specific, plot dependent spot in which they will be explained. But, please let me know if you have any questions, so I know what points or issues need more 'screen time'. Sometimes, I glaze over things that need more explanation, because everything already makes sense in my crazy head! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!


	10. Blurring the Lines

**Soutou "Struggle"**

**

* * *

  
**

**Chapter Ten: Blurring the Lines**

**Struggle - to contend with an adversary or opposing force.**

**

* * *

  
**

Jovial childlike laughter drifted through Sakura's mind. Soft voices drew her attention. Curious, Sakura reluctantly pulled herself out of the deepest, most restful sleep she had since… well, she could hardly remember. Instinctively, she scanned the immediate area for familiar chakra, and found to her relief that neither Kattan nor Itachi had left her side. Surprisingly, Kisame, back from his liquor run, was there too, as were two new chakra signatures. Her eyes fluttered open to the dimming light of sunset, and she stretched and yawned lazily. Itachi was sitting up with his back to her, looking his usual level of disinterested. His blank gaze was focused on the opposite side of the small clearing where they had set up temporary camp.

"Whoa! Lookie! The princess awakes!" an unfamiliar voice chortled out from across the small fire, "We didn't even have to kiss her or anything! And I _really_ wanted to see if it worked too. Darn!"

She felt Itachi stiffen minutely at the stranger's voice. Still drowsy, Sakura opted for the lazy route to satisfying her curiosity, and simply rolled over onto her side and gazed across the clearing. Kisame was lounging nearby, with a large half-empty bottle of sake at his side. Directly in Itachi's unyielding line of sight, were two men.

One she recognized from his unique silhouette. He was at the extraction, and had addressed the leader directly with reports of the Konoha Shinobi's positions. He was an intimidating sight, with two huge green leaf-like appendages jutting out of his Akatsuki robe on either side of his head. His face, while calm and unassuming in feature, was half solid black, and half solid white. He stared unblinkingly at Sakura through piercing gold eyes as she stirred and began to sit up.

Kattan whimpered as Sakura angled herself on the sleeping mat to get a better look at the visitors.

"_What's the matter, Ka-chan?_" Sakura wondered as she watched the usually outgoing puppy scoot in as close as she could to Itachi and press her forehead into his back. Her ears were tucked back flat against her head and her eyes were wide with fear.

Sakura was immediately worried. She hadn't seen Kattan respond to new people with anything but excitement, barring the obvious exception of the encounter with the mercenary. Even Kisame and Itachi, who Sakura herself had been horrified of at first, were immediately trusted by the little wolf cub. This reaction was new, and it put Sakura on edge.

"Hiya!" the second man suddenly jumped across the fire and crouched in front of her and Itachi. A little startled, Sakura didn't respond right away.

She didn't recognize him at all. He wasn't wearing an Akatsuki robe, and while his dark clothes weren't unusual, his bright orange face mask with only one eye hole certainly was. His dark green scarf flapped behind him like a cape as he thrust out a hand to her with the enthusiasm of an eight year old.

"I'm Tobi!" he hollered, "Fish Face-san told me aaaaaaaaall about you! You're super cool, and cute to boot!"

Sakura noticed Itachi's subtle but infuriated body language as the man reached out to greet her. He didn't make a move to stop Tobi, but his swirling red eyes did narrow dangerously. She glanced over to… Fish Face-san, and noticed that he didn't seem tense in the least.

"_Then again_," Sakura reasoned as she watched Kisame take a swig directly out of the sake bottle, "_he __**is**__ drunk."_

"Uh," Sakura finally managed, and gingerly took the man's still outstretched hand, deciding that politeness was the best policy, "I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you."

"Yaaayyyy!" Tobi leapt up, whooped, and twirled in circles around the fire, "Did you see that everyone!? Sakura-chan likes me!"

"Ugh," Kisame finally groaned, the first sound he'd made since Sakura woke up, "Do you ever get tired of his shit?"

The creepy plant man, realizing that Kisame was taking to him, slowly turned, and with one half of his face twisted up in a crazed looking grin, responded, "Perpetually."

Still confused, but a little more relaxed, Sakura scooted over flush with Itachi's side, and reached back to rub Kattan's scruff in an attempt to calm her. It seemed to work a little, and Kattan gave a soft snort before stretching out behind Itachi and Sakura, safe behind their protective forms.

"Zetsu, explain the mission," Itachi finally spoke in a deceivingly calm and level voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sakura suddenly realized, "Were you waiting for me? You could have woken me up, really."

"They had only just arrived," Itachi corrected her, "And they will be leaving very shortly."

Sakura nodded briefly, then turned her attention to the new Akatsuki plant-man… thing. Tobi had taken a seat next to him, and while still fidgeting with his scarf like a child, was being respectfully quiet during the explanation.

"Leader has made a critical decision regarding the three tails capture. The beast's movements are becoming faster, and a pattern has been established," Zetsu paused briefly, and when he continued, a different, less mechanical voice seemed to be coming from him.

"Basically, it's heading for the ocean, since it likes water and stuff. It's a water type, you know. It's a giant turtle thing."

"Should the beast reach the ocean," the emotionless voice took over again, "because of it's affinity to water, it will be much more difficult to find, defeat and capture. Because of this, we will be moving in force to intercept the bijuu before it travels much further south. It will be possible to seal the three tails, even without the two tails sealed, because we now at least have the first bijuu."

"Yeah, it's okay to go a little bit out of order, I guess. It's not like five or six tails or anything. Just one out of order, and it shouldn't be too hard. Not like if it gets to the ocean. We might never find it then!"

Sakura's head was spinning from the two vastly different voices coming from the same man. Akatsuki certainly was full of… _distinctive_ Shinobi.

"How do you know the pattern? Why is it moving?" Sakura asked while the more goofy human voice seemed to be dominant, hoping he wouldn't mind the questions as much.

"Oh, that's all Orochimaru's fault. Sasori's spy told us Orochimaru found it way up north, in a lake near one of his bases, and wanted to catch it himself. But it was too strong, and it got away, and it started eating villagers, and like flattening entire villages, so it would have the chakra to escape. Now, since it knows we're after it, it's going even faster."

"… _flattening entire villages_?" she echoed as she visualized the destruction she supposed a huge demon turtle would be capable of. It was a horrifying image that her mind conjured, but oddly, a vaguely familiar one as well.

Sakura's eyes widened involuntarily when realization struck her like a ton of bricks. The village that she had been sent to on her last mission in Konoha, the one that everyone had assumed had been attacked by Akatsuki, had been destroyed by the bijuu instead. Akatsuki had been spotted because they had been trying to capture it. The spies had been placed in case it returned. Had Konoha unknowingly doomed subsequent villages to attack when they removed the spy?

Sakura's stomach turned sour as the tortured spy's face flickered across her thoughts. The spy, who had been killed for being the enemy, had been trying to save lives after all. Even if he didn't know what Akatsuki was doing with the demons, in his own mind, his intentions were pure. He had been good.

Or was he? What exactly Akatsuki was doing with the bijuu was still a mystery to Sakura, and simply sealing them was certainly not the end of their plans. But still, even having the demon in their hands would have been much better than letting it run wild, destroying villages and killing hundreds of people. Right?

Now Sakura's head really was spinning, torn between guilt and doubt, she wasn't sure what to think of the Akatsuki anymore. She wasn't sure what to think of how Konoha perceived them anymore. There were supposed to be clear lines separating good Shinobi from bad ones. Who were the bad Shinobi now? Was anyone really a bad Shinobi anymore? Was anyone really a good one?

And what about Akatsuki's intentions to capture the rampaging demon? Was what they were doing still evil? She couldn't know, not yet. She had no idea what the ends were, so she couldn't even begin to judge the necessity of the means. Even if one outcome was positive, maybe not all of them were.

"There will be three teams," Zetsu's detached voice snapped Sakura out of her thoughts and she pushed back the nausea of her revelation to listen to the mission.

"Two teams will be sent ahead of the demon's suspected path, so if the first team fails to capture it, they will be able to drive it into one of the other two waiting teams. Deidara and Sasori are the main team that will be actively hunting the bijuu. Tobi and I will be one of the intercepting teams, and you three will be the other."

"_Wait, did he just say… you three_?" Sakura perked up a little at the implication.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Zetsu's human voice elaborated, "We don't have to hold back at all. Leader says we need to catch it at all costs. So we should feel free to beat it within an inch of its life, since our new little medic here will be able to heal it right up. Or one of us, too, if it eats us up or something. You can fix that too, right?"

Sakura pointed at herself, a little in disbelief, as the white half of Zetsu's face grinned at her, "Oh, me? Yeah, uh, I'm… sure. I can fix…that."

"Good," the mechanical voice confirmed, "Leader said that if you are not present for the capture itself, you should meet up with the team immediately. It will be your job to keep the beast stable but unconscious during transport."

"_Wait. Did I just imagine that? The leader is giving me … a job? He's relying on me, even just a little? What's the catch? What's he up to!?"_ Sakura wrinkled her nose in astonishment, but slowly nodded in understanding. She would help Akatsuki again, for now, as long as the demon was stopped. That was the most important thing, and she would deal with any negative consequences later, as they made themselves apparent.

Zetsu reached inside his cloak, and pulled out a small scroll. He casually tossed it across the fire to Itachi, who caught it with no effort whatsoever.

"That's the map and coordinates of the possible interception points," Zetsu elaborated as Itachi unrolled and examined the scroll, "Your team's route is in blue. As you can see, we will be very near the coast, so there is little margin for error."

Itachi nodded, and tucked the scroll away in his supply pouch.

"One last note," Zetsu warned, "Do not underestimate the intelligence of the beast. It's path clearly shows intent. It knows to avoid major Shinobi villages, and it keeps near the borders, to discourage interference from any one Shinobi nation. Assume it to be cunning, so it will not escape because of a stupid mistake on our part. It may not be a jinchuuriki, but it is no ordinary wild animal either."

"Well, no shit," Kisame snorted as he finished his sake bottle. Zetsu only responded with an irritated glare from the white half of his face before sinking slowing and effortlessly into the ground.

"Hey! Zetsu-san!" Tobi suddenly leapt up, clearly despondent and tore randomly into the forest shouting, "Wait for me!"

Once the commotion of Zetsu's and Tobi's sudden departure had died down, Sakura shook her head in relief and amazement.

"And I thought Sasori and Deidara were odd," she commented with a soft chuckle.

Kisame snort laughed in agreement, then wobbly got to his feet and stretched with a grunt, "Gah! Well, I gotta go take a piss."

"Manners, Kisame! Geeze," Sakura scolded as he sauntered into the woods to find an adequately large tree to relieve himself behind, "_He's worse than Naruto_."

Kattan, satisfied that the scary plant man was gone, hopped out from behind Itachi and threw herself into Sakura's lap to demand a good and proper belly scratch.

"Gods, Ka-chan. You're getting so big! You barely fit in my lap anymore," Sakura teased as she tickled the delighted puppy's pot belly.

"Sakura," Itachi began softly, "I am sure you noticed that I was not the only one displeased with our guests."

She nodded, "Yeah, Ka-chan didn't like them either."

Itachi gazed down at Kattan, "Tobi can not be trusted."

"Eh?" Sakura was confused. She was certain that it was Zetsu that was causing Kattan's distress, not that childlike silly orange-masked man.

"Not that I don't believe you - I do, just… why not?" she asked.

Itachi looked up at her. His Sharingan was still activated, and not used to seeing it since she had healed him in Koueki, Sakura shivered involuntarily a little. He immediately deactivated the kekkei genkai, and his eyes faded back to the charcoal grey that Sakura was more familiar with.

Itachi sighed, obviously reluctant to reveal too much, but realizing the trouble he would be in if he didn't explain at least a little, he chose to elaborate, "He is not who he seems. It is an act, to persuade people to let down their guard. Do not let your guard down around him."

Sakura nodded, her lips set in a serious line. But one thing still confused her.

"Is he a member of Akatsuki?" she asked, considering that he hadn't been wearing the characteristic black and red cape.

"Not… exactly," Itachi chose his words carefully. Sakura noticed his eyes narrow slightly, a clear sign to her that he was thinking intensely. And his slightly furrowed brow told her that the thoughts were far from pleasant.

Sakura waited patiently for Itachi to explain, and finally, he sort of did, "He is currently acting as Zetsu's direct subordinate. He claims that his goal is to obtain official membership when a spare ring becomes available."

Even though her questions weren't fully answered, Sakura agreed to remain cautious around Tobi, to Itachi's apparent relief, but even then, she wasn't going to assume the worst just yet. He didn't seem all _that_ bad. Though, she didn't tell Itachi about her new resolution either.

So far, all of her assumptions about Akatsuki, its members, and its associates, for lack of a better category, ended up being wrong. The realization about the innocent spy she had aided in killing was the nail in the coffin of her judgmental tendencies. She vowed, as a bit of reparation to the dead spy, that she would never again condemn anyone without having all of the information first. No matter their reputation, or their first impression, Sakura promised herself that she would give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

"_As Shinobi, we are taught to assume that an enemy is guilty until proven innocent_," Sakura recalled, "_But not for me. Not anymore. Innocent until proven guilty just seems so much better to me. It would have saved the spy's life. It's what I would have wanted for myself. It's what I should have gotten from the council. I won't be like them anymore. Never again."_

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted as she heard Kisame thrashing about in the underbrush on his way back to camp.

"Get some sleep," Itachi ordered to both Sakura and Kisame as the large drunk man staggered over to his sleeping mat and collapsed half on and half off of it, "We will leave to our first interception position in the morning."

"I just woke up," Sakura suggested over the noise of Kisame's instant snoring, "So I'll take the first watch, you go ahead and get some sleep."

Sakura assumed Itachi would be grateful for the rest, since he was again beginning to look like he really needed it. The dark lines that had framed his face when she first saw him had all but vanished when she had healed him. But for some reason, they were returning.

Sakura realized that she hadn't seen him sleep since he accidentally fell asleep in Ame, and the extraction had to have been exhausting. Maybe he hadn't been sleeping at all. It certainly explained the reappearance of the dark lines, and Sakura was confident that it wasn't anything a good night's rest wouldn't help.

So her surprise, he strongly objected.

"Your chakra is not fully recovered," he explained, "and I am in no need of sleep."

"Yes you are!" Sakura corrected and prodded him in the chest, "My chakra is recovering fine, I just need to eat a little, so at least have a nap while I do that much."

"It is not necessary," he insisted again, and began to unpack his painting scrolls and ink.

Exasperated, Sakura glared at him, trying with all of her mental might to understand why he insisted on staying awake.

"I can handle the watch, Itachi," she attempted, thinking that perhaps he just didn't trust anyone else to keep them safe, "My chakra sensing range is huge, thanks to my chakra control. And Ka-chan will stay awake with me, so she'll be able to hear and smell any intruder my chakra might miss. Which is unlikely. So just go to sleep!"

To emphasize that she wouldn't be taking 'no' for an answer, she snatched his scrolls away, rolled them up, and stuffed them back in his pack. He glowered at her, but she just crossed her arms, his pack held tightly in her grasp, and dared him to try to take it from her.

After several minutes of staring, his shoulders finally fell, and with an aggravated sigh, he held out a hand, asking for his pack back. Sakura shook her head defiantly.

"Sakura," he retracted his hand in defeat, "Your intentions are misplaced. I can not sleep, and often not for lack of trying."

Sakura cocked her head in confusion, but still didn't relinquish the bag.

"Even if I did as you instructed," he paused and closed his eyes, obviously reluctant to continue, "It would be a waste. I would likely not be rested, but quite the opposite. Risking wasting any energy with the prospect of a considerable need for chakra looming would be unwise."

Sakura pouted a little, but convinced that his reasoning didn't involve any mistrust of her or her abilities, she huffily held out his pouch to him, "You, my dear, have a propensity for being unnecessarily wordy when you wish to avoid answering my inquiries."

Her mocking didn't escape his notice, and he smirked at her as he readily took his pouch back.

"I'm still going to stay up a bit and eat something," Sakura asserted and began to dig through her supplies for some food.

"Do what you like," Itachi retorted and laid out his scrolls again before setting a small pot of tea next to the fire to boil.

Pretending to be immersed in her food, Sakura watched Itachi with a bit of curiosity. What could be making him an insomniac? Sakura rummaged through her mind for a medical explanation, but there was no diagnosis that she could have missed while healing him. There was no remaining physical discomfort from the condition his kekkei genkai had caused, and as long as she healed him periodically, it shouldn't return. Then, maybe it wasn't physical.

The only other explanation was… psychological. Sakura realized that once she too had felt more exhausted after sleeping than if she had stayed awake; in Ame, when she had woken up from the nightmare. Was Itachi having nightmares? Infamous, feared, S-class criminal Itachi, was plagued by nightmares? Surely not.

"_But then again_," she reconsidered as she shared her food with Kattan, "_Nightmares that mimic a real experienced trauma can be devastating. Almost like… reliving it. I would know, I guess. That's what my nightmares are._"

What could he be dreaming about that it would convince him that he was better off just not sleeping? How long had he been training himself to go without sleep? Would he tell her if she asked?

Sakura glanced back over to Itachi, immersed in his kanji practice, as he took a small sip of his tea. She studied him casually, trying to not let him feel her staring, but probably failing. He didn't seem to mind, though, as he continued his routine undisturbed.

When she had first seen the picture of him in his ANBU file, Sakura had noticed that he looked hollow, almost soulless. He had the dark lines then, too. He still had a distant, faraway look in his eyes, even when he was looking right at her. Even with his vision recovered, his eyes seemed persistently unfocused, and empty. Sakura assumed it was just part of his emotional mask, the same thing every Shinobi wore to keep their emotions in check, and Itachi's was just very, very thick. But maybe, it was something more.

Bored, and out of food, Sakura grudgingly realized that Itachi was right about her chakra recovery. She _was_ still tired, so she made her way back over to her sleeping mat, away from the fire. Instead of laying down to sleep though, she decided to watch Itachi paint for a little while first, and sat shoulder to shoulder with him on his left side. He didn't object to her presence, as she scanned the kanji to read. Kattan, her puppy belly full and content, decided that Kisame looked lonely, and waddled over to him to fall asleep on his stomach.

Itachi had been working in that scroll for a while, since it was nearly full, so there was plenty for Sakura to read over his shoulder. It was mostly random words, though some clear grouping became apparent as Sakura read. The groups were almost like little abstract poems, since all of the kanji in the group described the same thing without the thing itself being written with the group. One thing struck her the most, though. Every single word, every phrase, every little 'poem' group was achingly mundane. It was all simple, every-day ideas, relating to things like food, tea, geography, architecture, and absolutely no emotions whatsoever. Just detached observations and matter-of-fact statements.

"Ever write about what you feel?" Sakura asked, trying to make a bit of conversation.

"…hn."

He obviously wasn't in the mood to talk anymore, but at least he responded, no matter how unenthused and vague it was. Sakura supposed he meant 'no'.

"Why not?" she asked, not really expecting to get an answer.

After a few seconds, Sakura felt him shrug his shoulders so slightly that she probably wouldn't have noticed the motion if her shoulder hadn't been pressed up against his.

"_Don't know_?" Sakura translated for her own benefit, "_Or maybe it's more like 'don't want to answer.'"_

Sakura yawned, and gave one last attempt to get him to open up a little before going to sleep.

"Remember, when I told you how I have nightmares sometimes?" she asked and his hand stopped painting for just an instant before continuing on its smooth motion, "And I told you, I didn't have one when you were there with me. I haven't had a nightmare at all, since then, as long as you're here. A little bit of company, for some reason, keeps me safe."

She paused for a few seconds, giving him a chance to respond, say something, or maybe just gesture so subtly that she would have missed it had she been talking.

When he didn't so much as look up from painting to acknowledge that he had even heard her, she continued undeterred, "Do me a favor, okay? From now on, if you're able, stay beside me while I'm sleeping. I'll sleep better… that's all."

Sakura could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she waited for him to react. Hopefully, he would notice that the request was meant to be a suggestion for him, as much as a plea from her. After a few breathless seconds, Sakura felt him nod.

"Hn," he finally spoke in a whisper, "Now go to sleep."

Sakura grinned, certain that she had gotten her point across, and reached up to give him a gentle peck on the cheek, before turning around, curling up behind him, and falling asleep.

* * *

Sakura woke up slowly. To her relief, Itachi was still nearby, just as she had asked him to be. Unfortunately, he hadn't seemed to take her advice, and by the looks of his full kanji scrolls and low tea supply, was up all night again. She was a little disappointed, but decided that it was his decision, and pushing the idea wasn't going to persuade him at all.

His back was to her as he toasted some rations near the fire for breakfast. Feeling relaxed, and a little playful, Sakura took the opportunity to throw herself at Itachi, and drape her arms around his shoulders. When he didn't try to shrug her off or verbally object, she hugged him a little closer, pressing herself against his back and resting her head against the nape of his neck.

Sakura was suddenly struck with a jarring sense of déjà vu. The setting was exactly the same; dappled morning sunlight, a small hot ember fire, the smell of cooking rations. The last person she had tried to hug like this, exactly like this, had been Sasuke. Only then, instead of Kisame sprawled out on his back and snoring, it had been Naruto. Back when they were still together, back when team seven still existed. Sasuke had roughly pushed her away, told her to 'quit it' and called her annoying, again. Sakura had been devastated, but brushed it off as easily as Sasuke had done to her. She told herself he was just grumpy in the morning. Didn't sleep well.

She had to have been delusional.

Now, she was hugging Itachi, a person painfully similar to Sasuke but also vastly different. Itachi didn't shrug her off. Itachi didn't call her annoying. But he hadn't moved or said anything yet. That could easily change.

Suddenly, he did move, and he shifted his shoulder back, forcing her to relinquish her grip as he turned to face her. Sakura's heart fell a little as she braced herself for some scathing words, or more characteristic of Itachi, an annoyed glare.

Instead, he handed her a cup of hot tea.

"Good morning," he greeted softly, and turned around completely until he was sitting facing her. Sakura couldn't find words, her mind had gone blank, so she just smiled gently and took a sip of tea. What had she been thinking, comparing Itachi to Sasuke like that? Itachi had never been anything other than patient and generous with her, even if just a bit overprotective. How could she have ever thought that he would reject her at all? Their first step into this odd relationship they had begun forming had been his fault, after all. Why reject her now?

Suddenly ashamed at her own thoughts, Sakura took to staring at her tea, forcing herself to change her train of thoughts before she stared tearing up, or something equally embarrassing.

"Everything alright?" Itachi asked as he gently brushed her hair aside and tucked it behind her ear. Sakura gasped a bit at the intimate contact, but he didn't stop until the motion was finished, even going so far as to trail his fingers softly down her arm as he returned his hand to his lap.

Sakura nodded meekly, and she felt her cheeks flush so hot she knew her face must be brighter than her hair. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the idea of Itachi possibly flirting with her.

"Eat," he commanded as he reached back and retrieved the rations from the fire, "We will be setting a fast pace, so we need our energy."

Kisame suddenly grumbled and snorted in his sleep, garnering Itachi's brief attention, "And you may need to help him with his hangover as well, if we hope to get any use out of him on this mission."

Sakura giggled and reached out to take a share of the food Itachi had offered. To her dismay, he jerked the food out of her reach, and broke off a piece for himself. Just as she was going to snap at him, he held the piece out for her to take. She reached out to accept it, but he pulled it back again suddenly.

Sakura gripped her tea in frustration. Her embarrassed flush was quickly being replaced with an angry one. What was he doing?

Again, he held the piece out for her, and when she reached for it, he pulled back. Now, Sakura was getting tired of the teasing, and the smirk he was wearing wasn't helping her temper.

"Itachi!" she half whined half yelled.

"You are being difficult," he responded smugly.

"I-I'm being? -You!" Sakura slammed her tea down on the ground with both hands, though she was coherent enough to not use enough force to break anything. Itachi quickly held the food out again, and this time, Sakura decided that she was just going to pout angrily at him instead of taking the food.

Her eyes widened in shock as Itachi held the food right up to her lips. Sakura was blushing again, with a vengeance, as she slowly, in disbelief, opened her mouth, ever so slightly. Itachi gently pushed the food into her mouth, being extra sure to brush his fingertips against her lips for good measure, which sent a bolt of hot lightning down Sakura's spine that made her squeak a little. Then, as casually as if they were having a conversation, he reached back down to break off another piece from the rations.

Sakura's lips were tingling, and as she chewed on the dry, saw dusty piece of standard issue rations, she decided that, because Itachi had just fed it to her, it was easily the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. Ever.

She washed the bit of nutritionally complete cardboard down with a quick sip of tea as Itachi ate a piece himself and broke off another for her.

"Your mood swings are enough to give a person vertigo," he commented as he fed the second piece to her.

Sakura puffed up, indignant, but quickly realized, that her agitation at his remark was only proving his point, which only served to make her madder.

Just as she was about to growl 'Yeah, so!?' at him, he held up another piece, which Sakura reluctantly took. This time, his fingers lingered a little longer than necessary on her lips, before trailing slowly down her chin. And Sakura completely forgot that she was supposed to be mad.

Itachi went on feeding her like that for several minutes, and just as Sakura was certain that she was going to burst into flames and die from the attention, Kisame snorted loudly and mumbled himself awake.

"Uhhhhh," Kisame whined, "My head is killing me! Hime-chaaan…."

He rolled over onto his side, dumping a still sleeping Kattan onto the mat. She rolled over a few times herself, and finally stretched out and yawned before deciding to trot over to Sakura and Itachi to demand to be fed.

Sakura chewed on her last bit of breakfast irately and rolled her eyes at Kisame. Before she could get up to go tend to her patient, Itachi leaned in and brushed his lips against her forehead. Sakura was blushing on the outside as furiously as she was squealing on the inside. She fumbled to her feet and over to Kisame.

"_Did cupid come visit last night?"_ Sakura asked, wondering what had gotten into Itachi and prompted such behavior. She glanced back coyly in Itachi's direction once she had knelt down beside Kisame. He was busy packing up the camp, but looked up long enough to return her gaze with an affectionate one of his own. Sakura couldn't place what about the look was so intense, since his expression was unchanged, but she decided that it was something in his eyes. They weren't so hollow anymore. It was as if, for once, he was actually looking _at_ her.

"I think I have a hangover!" Kisame suggested loudly, since Sakura had been too busy staring at Itachi to start treating him yet.

"No, really!? You think?" she asked sarcastically as she placed her hands on his head and began to wipe away the effects of alcohol with her chakra. She handed him some water as he sat up, finally lucid and at least somewhat ready to face the day.

"Kisame, pack quickly," Itachi ordered as he smothered the fire, "We need to start moving to make it to the first location."

"Yeah, yeah," Kisame grumbled and handed the empty canteen back to Sakura, who then got up and began helping Itachi clear the camp to erase any evidence of their presence.

As they worked, Sakura noticed him brushing up against her seemingly clumsily. But Sakura knew that Uchiha Itachi didn't bump into anyone by accident, ever. His expression gave away nothing of what he may have been thinking, so instead of interrogate him about the sudden change in their affection level, Sakura decided to just enjoy it, and maybe 'accidentally' brush up against him a few times herself.

* * *

They hadn't been traveling long, no more than a few hours as far as Sakura could tell, when she felt a tiny spark of chakra nearby. That same instant, Itachi suddenly veered westward towards the subtle chakra signature, and Kisame and Sakura silently followed him through the canopy. He must have noticed it too.

As they neared the location, the chakra signature became more familiar, and Sakura realized with a grin that it was Deidara. He was sending out tiny pulses of chakra at varying levels, almost like a beacon. But something was wrong.

The wind shifted slightly, catching Sakura's hair on the soft breeze, and carrying with it, the stench of death. Sakura blanched inwardly, but didn't falter as she noticed Itachi and Kisame pick up the pace at the same time she did. Deidara was alive, but it was obvious by the growing odor of blood and decay, that countless others were not.

The three Shinobi burst through the tree line into an unnatural and unexpected break in the thick forest. The clearing contained a deep crater bordered at its back by a steep hill side with a gaping hole in it. The cavernous space across the crater was caving in, slowly reducing the huge hill to rubble. Strewn around in piles of debris and half buried by the shifting earth were countless villagers, recently killed judging by the still fresh and wet pools of blood that they were lying in. Not a single building remained standing, and only the occasional clusters of stone and timber were left as a reminder of the homes that once stood there.

The metallic stench of fresh blood assaulted Sakura's senses, and her vision blurred. The hospital should have desensitized her to blood, but the sheer volume of it coupled with the scale of the senseless destruction left her feeling shaken.

Sakura had to look away. It was all she could do. She felt as if she was drowning in the villagers' blood, and images of the first attacked village flashed through her mind, punctuating her mounting horror like bolts of lightning.

"Hey!" Deidara's voice rang out across the crater, snapping Sakura out of her trance enough for her to turn and see him jogging along the edge of the crater in their direction. Sakura gasped in alarm when she saw how much blood was covering his clothes. Every step he took left behind a shoe shaped puddle of blood, which wasn't shrinking, and Sakura immediately knew that he was wounded.

When he reached the three newcomers, he immediately plopped down on his bottom and stretched his legs out in front of him with a groan. He barely took a single breath before he began filling them in.

"We didn't expect it to attack here, hm. It's off the predicted path, too far west, hm. It may be going through the mountains, deeper in River than we originally supposed, though it could just be trying to trick us too, hm" he took a second to take a few deep breaths. He was obviously winded, but he seemed alert, and he didn't object when Sakura knelt down beside him and began examining his wounds.

"What the hell happened, exactly?" Kisame whistled as Sakura peeled back Deidara's cloak and everyone got a good look at just how much blood had accumulated beneath it.

"Sasori and I felt the attack underway, hm, by the time we got here though," Deidara winced a little as Sakura began mending the ribs on his left side, all of which had been snapped like twigs, "It was almost done eating, hm. We interrupted it, and tried to contain it, but it slipped away into the hill side, hm. Though, not before giving Sasori the thrashing of his life, and paying me back for underestimating how fast the freaking thing was, hm."

"Where is Sasori?" Itachi inquired.

"Around the corner," Deidara gestured with his head, "Behind that huge boulder, sulking like the failure he is, hm."

Sakura shook her head and smiled a little at Deidara's cocky attitude, but her smile quickly vanished when she more closely examined the huge gash on his left side. The edges were rough, torn, and the underlying muscle still clung to bits of the ragged skin by threads of nerve and muscle fiber. It wasn't a slashing wound, like would be created from a weapon. It was almost like…

"Deidara!" Sakura looked at him in surprise, and he turned his head towards her from the sudden alarm in her voice, "Did it _step_ on you?"

"… Sort of, hm," he glowered, reluctant to admit just _how_ he had lost to the three tailed beast. Shaking her head in disbelief, Sakura channeled her chakra into the tear wound to heal it.

"You should go talk to Sasori, hm, retard," Deidara addressed Itachi, who was staring off into the distance across the crater, his expression blank and unreadable, "He wants to change the interception routes, just in case it really is heading west and not just trying to throw us off, hm."

Itachi ignored Deidara's not so subtle jab at his intelligence and ventured silently over to the nearby boulder where Sasori was nursing his pride. Sakura watched him go with a little concern. The vacant distant look was back in his eyes, though Sakura figured it was his way of dealing with the destruction. It was probably easier than how Sakura dealt with it, by dwelling on and wallowing in the misery.

"_No_," Sakura suddenly felt herself draw up taller, "_That's not how I'm going to deal with this. I'm going to be professional. I'm going to make myself useful."_

She quickly finished healing Deidara's wound, and then began making her way down the crater's crumbling edges.

"Where you off to, Hime-chan?" Kisame called after her.

"Checking for survivors," she responded as she turned back to give him a reassuring smile.

Deidara shook his head, "Don't bother, we got here way too late for that, hm."

"Probably," Sakura agreed, but visions of trapped people, barely alive and praying for help kept playing in her mind, which would not be put at ease until she _knew_ no one needed her, "But I still like to check."

Deidara sighed and jumped to his feet, "How about a little company, hm?"

Sakura's expression brightened as he stared down the slope after her.

"How about you, Kisame?" she asked cheerfully.

"Go digging through shallow graves in futile effort? Not exactly my cup of tea, Hime-chan," he shrugged and passed Kattan from one arm to the other as he turned to where Itachi and Sasori were talking, "Pup and I are going to go watch Grumpy Pants and Pouty Puss chit chat. Might get entertaining if they piss each other off enough."

He walked off, and Sakura didn't pursue the matter any further.

"They both fit both descriptions," Sakura commented off handedly to Deidara as they resumed their climb-slide down the crater walls.

"Huh?" he grunted.

"Grumpy Pants and Pouty Puss," she clarified, and Deidara smirked with mirth.

"Itachi is Grumpy Pants," he confirmed, and Sakura laughed loudly in response.

When they reached the more level area of the crater, Sakura's laughter died off in the heavy air. The smell had accumulated in the shadow of the crater walls, and it alone brought tears to her eyes, though the mutilated bodies at her feet didn't help either.

Wordlessly, she began checking the bodies, one by one, for any signs of life at all. Sakura knew if she was going to have any chakra left to help capture the demon, she wasn't going to be able to bring anyone back to life. The jutsu was just too new to her, and it likely would fail more often than not, leaving her with no other option than to dig through the bodies for a glimmer of hope. It was fruitless, she knew it, especially once she started to get a sense of the types of injuries that had been inflicted, but it helped settle her heart to know that at least she had tried. Unfortunately, the ghastly wounds, exposed bones and spilled entrails did nothing to settle her stomach.

"So," Deidara spoke suddenly as he turned over a more enact body and checked for a pulse, "Only a few days since… we saw each other, hm. You seemed upset then, better now, hm?"

Sakura turned her attention to him, amused enough at his fumbling attempt at conversation to humor him a bit and carry it with him.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," she confirmed, and focused her chakra into her arms and hands to pull back a huge piece of what used to be a roof to expose a potential hiding space for survivors. Deidara watched her toss the heavy structure aside like it was made of paper with a gleam in his eye.

Sakura noticed the look he was giving her, and decided to change the subject a little, "How long until we move out again?"

"Oh, Sasori needs to repair some of his puppets, hm, or he'll be no use fighting the bijuu when we catch up with it again," he responded, and moved in beside her to scan the void the roof had revealed for bodies or any signs of movement.

"So, a few hours, you think?" she ventured. He just nodded in response.

Several minutes passed by in silence as they searched, and eventually, it was too much for Deidara to bear again.

"Uhhhh…" he trailed off a bit as he searched for a conversation starter, "So, what's your favorite… food, hm?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow in amusement as she patted some of the blood that had accumulated on her hands onto her Akatsuki cloak.

"Well," she cocked her head as she gave his question some actual thought, "I guess I like vegetable tempura the best, as far as meals go. Probably cause it's fried, but it's vegetables too, so I guess it's _kinda_ good for me. What about you?"

He snorted in amusement, "I'm an artist, not a chef, hm. I don't think about food much. If I can catch it, I'll put it in my mouth, hm."

Sakura laughed with him for a few seconds before asking him a follow up question, "Tell me a bit about your art. Like those clay birds you make?"

He shook his head, "Those aren't really art, they're just the vector for my art, hm. Real art is fleeting in its beauty. My art is in explosions. It's what I'm the most passionate about, hm."

The smirk on his face and the glee dancing in his one exposed blue eye could have told Sakura that much. He really was an odd one, but not so bad at all, as it turned out.

"So, what's the second thing?" Sakura asked, amused by the turn in the conversation and his eagerness to share.

"Guess, hm," he challenged.

Sakura paused midway through turning over a boulder and gazed up at the clear blue sky overhead, in mock contemplation, "Is it… trying to find the easiest way to… kill Itachi?"

Deidara nearly tripped over an exposed root and planted his face in the dirt in shock, "How the hell?! How did you know, hm!?"

"Lucky, guess," Sakura teased, "and the fact that you really seemed excited when you learned that I punched his lights out once."

"Huh," Deidara huffed and crossed the small space between them until they were face to face, "Fine, I'll give you that one, hm. But I bet you can't guess my third favorite thing, hm."

Sakura crossed her arms, frustrated that she really couldn't pin down anything else about him. She hadn't spent enough time with him yet for that.

"I dunno," she finally surrendered, "You're gonna have to tell me."

He leaned in suspiciously, like he was planning on telling her a secret. Curious, Sakura leaned in too.

His eye narrowed slyly as he whispered breathily, "You."

Before Sakura could follow though with her instinct to bolt upright and yelp, his lips were on hers, and his hands were on her shoulders, keeping her from backing away.

Absolutely dumbfounded, Sakura just stiffened up like a board, and after a few tense seconds with no reciprocation of any sort on her part, he finally pulled away with a look of confusion on his face.

Too shocked to speak, Sakura just stammered at him. What would she say? What _could_ she say? '_Thanks but no thanks'_ or maybe, '_I like the guy you hate'_?

Sakura watched in awe as his confused but handsome features twisted into a look of utter rage as the situation became clear to him.

"It's Itachi, isn't it!?" he turned away with a snarl and stormed off before Sakura could even respond.

"I should have _fucking_ known!" she heard him scream as he overturned rocks and destroyed what was left of the village buildings, leaving even more haphazard destruction in his wake.

Disappointed in herself, Sakura waited for the sounds of Deidara's tantrum to fade into the distance before scurrying back up the steep embankment to the forest line. She sat with her legs dangling over the loose edge of the crater and stared listlessly out over the destroyed village. Deidara was no where to be found, and Itachi and Kisame were likely still talking with Sasori about the changes to the mission. Alone, Sakura pondered the situation.

She sorely hoped that Deidara wasn't so mad that he would stop speaking to her. She liked him, she really did, just not like _that_. It was odd, she considered, that she was even thinking like that, considering that only weeks ago, the idea of liking an S-class missing nin, platonically or otherwise, was totally out of the question.

In Konoha, her only real suitors had been Lee and Naruto, who were absolutely good friends of hers, but really nothing more. Now, she had two, admittedly very attractive, infamous missing-nin practically fighting over her, and it was enough to make Sakura dizzy.

At least she could _try_ to mend the friendship with Deidara. He had after all, managed to cheer her up enough that she was able to search for survivors among the bodies and not be torn apart with grief. He really was charming, even if just a little egotistical and hot tempered. It really wasn't fair that she hadn't even been able to speak to him afterwards, not that he had given her much of a chance. Despondent from Deidara's outrage, Sakura tucked her knees under her chin and watched as the flies began to find the corpses.

The sun overhead was high and cheerful, but the heat was making the bodies decompose faster, and soon the smell of blood was overpowered by the stench of decay. Swarms of flies had made their way to the scene, and the collective hum was loud enough to drown out the ambient sounds of the forest around her. Sakura noted to herself with a huff of bitter irony, that she would have preferred that it had been raining.

"_I need to train_," she scolded herself and bit her lower lip in worry, "_I've been too distracted. I need that jutsu, so things like this won't have to end like this. It's not fair. It's just not fair. Why am I still so helpless? Why am I still so weak?"_

The last question played itself over in her head in an uncontrollable loop. Sakura tried not to believe it, but the pain of being helpless in the face of such a tragedy gave strength to her self doubt. Before she knew it, heavy hot tears were sliding down her face as she cried silently and expressionlessly for the villagers who shouldn't have died that day.

She had sensed his chakra before she heard him emerge from the underbrush behind her, but she didn't tear her eyes away from the crater or turn to address him. He was likely coming to tell her that it was time to leave. But instead, Itachi just sat down close behind her, and didn't speak a word. Sakura didn't bother stopping the tears that were still flowing of their own accord, nor did she apologize for them. Sometimes, she just needed to cry, damn it.

Itachi reached an arm around her, and pulled her back a few inches from the crater edge and into his lap until her back was pressing into his chest. Sakura didn't protest, she just leaned back and let herself melt into him a bit. He pressed his cheek against the top of her head, went perfectly still, and patiently waited. His breathing and heartbeat in her ears drowned out the buzzing swarm of flies, and his scent pushed away the stench of rotting flesh. Soon, the tears stopped.

"We should go," she finally spoke, surprising herself with the strength in her voice despite her recent tears. Sakura knew that loitering would do no one any good, and she would have time to grieve in her own way later.

"We need to catch that demon," she asserted, "We can't afford to waste time."

She felt Itachi nod softly against the side of her head before pulling back and standing. He reached down to help her to her feet, and she gladly accepted.

"Ever the gentleman, Ita-kun," she teased softly, and he only raised an eyebrow in response.

Suddenly, on the far side of the huge crater, Deidara's chakra flared to life. Certain that his outburst was connected to their recent falling out, Sakura watched in horror as he leap onto a clay bird and flew straight towards them, crossing the vast distance in a matter of seconds.

"Sakura!" she heard him yell, but his tone wasn't angry, and instead was laced with concern. He leapt off the bird and landed directly in front of her. He was absolutely frantic, and Sakura was amazed to see tears building up but not quite spilling from his one wide blue eye.

"…What? Deidara, calm down," she tried to soothe him, but he ignored her and jabbed a finger out across the crater, pointing at where he had just come from.

"I found one, hm," he panted, out of breath from apparent panic, which made no sense at all to Sakura.

"Found what?" she asked, looking on with interest as he waggled one finger in desperation and clutched at his head with the other. He groaned and grimaced from some hidden pain, and Sakura was immediately worried for his wellbeing.

"A survivor!" he finally managed, "She's still alive!"

* * *

A/N: New arc, horray! I hope you don't mind me going a bit out of order with the bijuu. Zetsu said it was okay, and there's a really good reason for it! I promise! Loooongest chapter yet, and the sad part is that I only wrote half of what I had outlined. This arc will take at least two more chapters, so this trilogy might end up being a quad- er, whatever a four part story is called. Four parter? Good enough.

I loves the little reviews, I loves them good. I think I have over 100 for Soutou now, and I can hardly.. Believe It! Thanks so much everyone, I'm super grateful! I try my best to respond directly to each one, so log on before you sign so I can stalk you! Alright, I'm done XD

PS: I have some fanarts on my profile, done by me, cause I'm lame. The Sakura one is actually from Soutou, the other two are just character things.


	11. Taking Risks

**Soutou "Struggle"**

**

* * *

  
**

**Chapter Eleven: Taking Risks**

**Struggle - a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind.**

**

* * *

  
**

Sakura leapt off of Deidara's clay bird and ran after him over to a pile of rubble where he was frantically gesturing. Itachi followed Sakura calmly and stood back a safe distance as she began to pull huge pieces of debris from the areas that Deidara was showing her.

"_How in the world does he know there's someone here?_" Sakura wondered as she dug through the wreckage blindly. She couldn't sense any chakra, and there were no signs of life as far as she could tell. But Deidara was adamant.

Several minutes into their search, Kisame approached with another member of Akatsuki shadowing close behind him. Sakura didn't recognize the red haired young man, but she was too busy to pay any attention to him yet.

"There, there!" Deidara began puling on a huge sheet of collapsed roof, and Sakura gently pushed him aside to lift the structure out of the way. As she tossed the mangled wood away, Sakura peered into the resulting shallow hole, and gasped.

A young girl lay, crushed nearly completely, in a pool of her own blood. It was a horrifying sight, but to Sakura's dismay, Deidara leapt into the hole without pause, dragging Sakura behind him. Not more than a few feet from the girl's body, Deidara suddenly collapsed to his knees, clutching his head and groaning in restrained pain.

"Deidara!" Sakura caught him and tried to soothe him with her chakra, but couldn't find any damage to account for the pain.

"She's-" he gasped as his fingers dug into his skull. He had to force the words past his tightened lips, "Screaming!"

"…What?" Sakura looked at the dead girl in suspicion. She cautiously approached and probed for signs of life with her chakra. The girl's body didn't respond, and Sakura was unable to find a pulse.

"She's dead…" Sakura tried to explain to Deidara, but he just shook his head violently and clutched at himself in agony.

From his observation point just above them, Itachi called Sakura out of the hole, "Do not waste your energy, Sakura. You have only just recovered from chakra exhaustion as it is."

"_Yeah, yeah, Mr. Fussypants. I already knew that_," Sakura grumbled in her mind. Itachi may have been unusually affectionate lately, but it apparently hadn't stopped him from trying to over protect her. Reminding herself that he was just looking out for her because he cared was soothing her ego less and less lately.

Before she clambered back out of the hole, Sakura wanted to give her respects to the dead girl. She gazed down at the sad little figure with disappointment. Sakura hated to admit it, but she really couldn't waste the chakra on bringing her back to life. She apologetically brushed a wavy lock of the girls' brown hair out of her blood smeared face.

Her eyes shot open.

Sakura leapt back with a squeal of surprise, but quickly recovered, threw herself at the ground next to the girl, and pressed her hands against the girl's body to begin healing. Her vacant solid black eyes watched Sakura with burning intensity. Still in the hole beside her, Deidara's groaning had turned into full blown screaming.

Kisame immediately leapt down into the hole when he heard the commotion, and grabbed Deidara forcefully, "Come on, kid, you're just gonna get in Hime-chan's way, acting like that!"

Kattan slipped out of Kisame's arms as he struggled to haul the blonde out of the hole. She scurried over next to Sakura with a whimper of concern.

Sakura was astounded that the girl was even alive. She should have been long dead. Her body was not only in ruins, it had even begun the first stages of decay. Only her head and parts of her spine had escaped direct injury, and Sakura wondered if her actions that seemed like signs of life were really just neurological reflexes. Regardless, Sakura worked diligently, repairing the most vital systems first, and soothing any potential pain, just in case.

The girl's stiff expressionless face suddenly softened, and her wide almond shaped eyes relaxed. Sakura nearly leapt back in shock again, but pushed all of her fears aside and continued healing. The wounded girl looked at Sakura with a mix of sadness and contentment. Sakura was making headway with the healing, but it was still not enough to sustain life. Yet, she was alive. It didn't make any sense.

Sakura paused in alarm as the girl opened her mouth as if to speak.

"Don't! Don't waste your energy, just relax," Sakura ordered as her medic instincts kicked in.

Unable to draw a breath with her crushed lungs, the girl settled for mouthing a simple 'thank you' at Sakura. Kattan whimpered pitifully, and nudged the girl's hand with her nose.

Helplessly, Sakura watched as the strange girl's black eyes faded to white and rolled back into her head. The girl's expression turned vacant again, and Sakura knew, that this time, she truly was dead. Kattan began to howl.

"What… happened, hm?" she heard Deidara ask from above her. He sounded worn out but seemed back to normal.

"She stopped screaming…" he clarified when Sakura didn't respond right away, concern filling his voice.

Sakura reached forward, and gently closed the girl's eyes before whispering, "She's dead."

"What!?" Deidara hollered and tried to throw himself back down into the hole, but Kisame restrained him, "You can grow back a fucking arm, but you couldn't help her hm!?"

"Shut up, kid! Hime-chan did the best she could," Kisame defended as he threw Deidara back and out of Sakura's view. Itachi made his way to the edge of the hole, and reached his hand down to help Sakura out. She looked up at him, but didn't take his hand right away. Kattan whined and nudged the girl's limp arm again.

"_The best I could…_" she echoed to herself, "_Was it really?_"

No, Sakura realized, it really wasn't. For once, Sakura _could_ do more, and what was stopping her? The fear that she won't have enough chakra for something later, that she might not even need the chakra for? Because this girl was just like all the others she could have brought back to life, so why should she get special treatment? All silly, unfounded excuses. Just excuses. There really was no good reason not to at least try.

"_I need to practice the life jutsu eventu_ally," she reasoned with a shrug, "_At least this way, Deidara might not be mad at me anymore if it works_."

As she held up her hands to form the seals, Itachi suddenly landed next to her and grabbed her hands to stop her.

"Do not use that jutsu," he commanded.

Sakura tore her hands out of his grasp, "_How does he know about…?"_

"You do not have the chakra to waste. It is not worth the risk. Leave her," he reached out to take her hand again, but Sakura slapped it away.

Well intentioned or not, Sakura was getting sick of him ordering her around like she was a child who couldn't think for herself. Even after their conversation about trust, even after their agreement to keep each other involved, he _still_ didn't trust her judgment. He _still_ looked down on her. Sakura was _not_ going to assume he was just showing that he cared, and give him a pass this time. Consequences be dammed, he was getting a piece of her mind.

She stood to face him, and stared him down through narrowed eyes, "Last I checked, Uchiha Itachi, I have no reason to be taking orders from you, or anyone! I am not a helpless child and I don't even _have_ to be here! I'm here helping, because, _for now_, our goals are the same, but it doesn't make me a member of Akatsuki, either! I don't need your permission, _anyone's_ permission, to use my chakra for _anything_. It's mine! It's my business alone! Now get the fuck out of my way before I throw you out of this hole and across the continent!"

Without waiting for a response, Sakura opened the three chakra gates and turned to kneel beside the girl's body again. Itachi didn't leave, but he stood back silently, and Sakura could tell from his aura that he was angry. She didn't care though; she was still too mad at him to care.

Sakura hadn't worked with the third gate much, but it was already getting easier for her to control. Grateful that Itachi didn't seem intent on _physically_ interfering anymore, she soothed her temper as best as she could, and reigned in the excess chakra from the third gate before focusing on the jutsu. She placed both of her hands on the death gate near the girl's heart.

"Ninpou, Ikikaeru no Jutsu."

Just as with her practice with the fish, the chakra began to flow into the death gate, but Sakura was having trouble controlling it once it entered her body. It would dissipate ineffectually instead of flow through the pathways, rendering her unable to even continue healing, let alone revive the girl. With the rate of dissipation, Sakura realized that she would have to release _all_ of her chakra all at once to fill the girl's chakra pathways. No wonder the life jutsu was said to be deadly.

"_What did the scroll say…?_" Sakura considered, "…_You have to affect the chakra as a whole…_"

She tried placing her other hand on the life gate, and pushed with her chakra. To her surprise, the chakra from the death gate flowed smoothly to meet it, and all of the damage to the girl's body between the gates was healed as well. Sakura finally knew what she had to do.

The fish had been so small, that the chakra Sakura had been using was entering through all the gates at once, even though she was focusing on just the death gate. To revive someone, you needed to affect the _entire_ chakra system at once, but also feed them enough chakra to jump start their system again. Other jutsu that Sakura had read about that tried to revive people focused only on the death gate, and required so much chakra that the caster would likely die. The life jutsu that Miharu had developed tried to stimulate the entire system at once, and so, lowered the threshold of needed chakra to bring a person back to life. Though, it instead required a tremendous amount of chakra control, and even a tiny slip could damage the pathways permanently or cause the jutsu to fail.

With her revelation in mind, Sakura moved her hand from the life gate to the gate of opening. She gently laid her hand on the girl's forehead, and intensified her chakra slightly. Slowly, like a drop of water on paper, the chakra from the gate of death spread to meet the chakra from the gate of opening. Sakura pushed with her chakra in a rhythm that mirrored her own energy pulse. She watched in amazement as the meeting chakra in the girl's body healed her devastating wounds with astounding speed, until just seconds later, the only clue that the girl had even been hurt was the pool of blood she still lay in. Sakura closed her eyes and focused even harder. She felt the warm chakra leave her fingers, and she followed it into the girl's body as it snaked through her system and filled the empty pathways.

"_Exactly enough chakra_," she reminded herself, "_Not too much, not too little. Don't get frustrated, it takes a few seconds, remember?_"

Sakura's eyes flew open as she suddenly felt movement. The girl's heart was beating.

Sakura removed her hands slowly, and to her relief, the flow of chakra remained. The girl began breathing, and within seconds, her pale white eyes fluttered open.

Kattan yipped in excitement and began licking the girl in the face.

"Geeze, Ka-chan, let the poor girl sit up first," Sakura reached out to grab the exuberant puppy, and realized with alarm that her movements were stiff and her reaction time was severely slowed. She had been so focused on performing the jutsu that she hadn't noticed how much chakra she had used. Sakura was totally drained, and honestly surprised that she was even able to sit upright.

"_Well_," Sakura admitted to herself, "_Looks like Itachi was right about my chakra…"_

The girl suddenly giggled and reached out to pet Kattan, "…cute," she whispered.

Sakura smiled and helped the girl sit up, "_But he was wrong about the most important thing. It __**was**__ worth it._"

"Come on," she said to the girl, who was looking around in amazement, as if seeing the world for the first time, "Let's get you out of this hole."

Itachi, despite still being upset at Sakura, helped both her and the newly healed girl to their feet and out of the hole. Kattan scrambled up behind them, her entire back side wagging in unbridled joy.

"Thanks," Sakura patted Itachi gently on the arm once they were standing in the open crater again. He didn't pull away, but he didn't react at all either. Sakura smiled gently, but refused to apologize; she didn't have anything to apologize for.

Deidara, his anger completely forgotten, gawked at the girl and then at Sakura, "How did you…?"

"What? Deidara, you're going to have to be more specific," Sakura said as she took off her travel pouch and dug through it for some fresh clothes for the girl. Sakura had packed light since leaving Ame, so she didn't have much, but she knew that the blood soaked, dirty, torn clothes the girl was wearing simply would not do.

"She's alive, hm!" he exclaimed loudly and gestured in the bashful girl's direction. Sakura held out her Akatsuki cloak for the girl to wear as she changed.

"I brought her back to life," Sakura clarified simply, as she held out a shirt to see if it would fit on the petite but surprisingly well endowed girl, "This might fit you…"

"You can do that?" Kisame asked the obvious, clearly amazed.

"Uh…," Sakura shrugged as she assessed the still dirty but now more fully clothed girl's appearance, and admitted, "Not very well, yet. It takes up too much chakra still to be really effective."

"You have chakra exhaustion… _again_," the young red haired Akatsuki newcomer observed and glowered at her. Something about his tone and expression struck Sakura as familiar. She furrowed her brow at him as if searching for a word that was just at the tip of her tongue.

"…Sasori!?" she exclaimed as she got a better look at the strange young man that had followed Kisame to the scene.

"The one and only, hm," Deidara snorted mockingly.

It seemed like Sakura had been correct about the observation that the large lumbering version of him she was more familiar with had moved like a puppet as well. Was she now looking at the real Sasori?

"You look …different… -and I'm not exhausted!" Sakura lied and tried to brush him off, "I'm just stiff, and a little tired. I'm sure I just need to eat something, and I'll be good to go."

"You're reckless decision to help some random girl has endangered the success of the mission," Sasori scolded.

"Oh, bite me, Sasori," Sakura really wasn't in the mood for his attitude, "You four big strong men_ really_ need my help that badly?"

Kisame laughed a little, but Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I'm sorry for causing trouble!" the white eyed girl suddenly spoke. Sakura grabbed her hand reassuringly.

"No, no, you're no trouble at all! Sasori just looks for excuses to not like me, that's all," Sakura smiled widely.

The girl laughed softly in response, "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

Itachi stepped forward unexpectedly, his Sharingan activated.

"No one has said her name," he observed with a dangerous tone, "What powers do you have?"

The girl shrank back behind Sakura, who turned to face Itachi, indignant at his behavior for the second time in a matter of only minutes.

"Will you stop it!?" Sakura rebuked him, "You're scaring her! She isn't dangerous, just leave her alone!"

"No, he's right, hm," Deidara interjected, "I could hear her in my head, hm. Remember? That's how I knew where she was, it was like she was telling me, hm."

"That doesn't make her dangerous," Sakura defended, but turned to the girl. With a gentle smile Sakura asked, "Do you know what happened? Can you tell us about yourself a little?"

She shook her head, and with a terrified expression whispered, "No! No… you'll hate me… just like _they_ did."

The girl seemed lost in thought, and troubled, so Sakura tried to seed the conversation to prove that she wasn't going to judge the girl because of her abilities.

"Do you have some kind of mind powers?" Sakura suggested casually, thinking it was the most obvious answer. The girl's eyes just widened in response, and as Sakura tried to reach out to reassure her again, she shrank back and her eyes faded from white to solid black. Itachi was beside Sakura immediately, but Sakura just pushed him back behind her with what little strength she had left and met the girl's terrified eyes fearlessly.

"No one's going to hate you," Sakura tried again with a tender but firm tone.

Kattan barked suddenly, and ran over to the frightened girl. Her tail was wagging as she jumped up and asked the girl to pick her up.

She turned her wide black eyes down at Kattan, and gasped in shock suddenly.

"No way…" she whispered as she reached down and picked the fat little puppy up into her arms. The petite girl giggled as she was showered with slobbery puppy kisses.

"See," Sakura laughed, "Ka-chan likes you. And she only likes cool people, so that makes you pretty darn cool in my book."

The girl smiled, pressed Kattan against her chest, and nodded with enthusiasm, "Okay!"

"So, are you a Shinobi?" Sakura asked, trying to make relaxed conversation now that the girl seemed to be in a more trusting mood.

"No," the girl corrected as she sat Kattan back down on the ground at her feet and shuffled uncomfortably, "I'm just … telepathic."

Grunts of surprise echoed around the area, but Sakura just nodded in understanding.

"That sure would explain things. What's your name?" Sakura asked.

"Uhm… I don't really have one. I don't like… what _they_ called me," the girl answered cryptically.

"Guess we'll have to pick out a name for you then," Sakura mused.

"We're… keeping her?" Kisame asked. Sakura was admittedly a little surprised that neither Sasori nor Itachi had objected to the idea yet, but there didn't seem to be any other logical course of action.

"Well, we can't just leave her here…" Sakura reasoned, but only Deidara nodded in agreement.

"Dani," Sasori abruptly suggested with a detached tone, "Name her Dani."

Sasori was the last person Sakura had expected would suggest a name, but then she thought about the meaning of the suggestion.

"Wait a second," Sakura pointed an accusatory finger in his direction, "That's mean, Sasori!"

"I like it," the girl chirped, "It's cute!"

"It suits her," Sasori asserted, then added smugly, "It suits you too."

"I think he just called you a parasite, hm," Deidara grinned in amusement.

"I gathered as much," Sakura glowered at Sasori, but then shook her head and turned to the girl, "If you like it… Da-chan it is."

Dani nodded vigorously and pranced over to Sakura to give her a hug.

"I'm gonna call her Squirt, on account 'a she's so little," Kisame declared.

"Do you call anyone by their real name, hm?" Deidara accused.

"Only people I don't like," Kisame confirmed with a devious grin.

"Perhaps you've all forgotten," Sasori interrupted irately, "but we're on a mission of vital importance."

"Sasori is correct," Itachi agreed, "We are loosing ground to the demon, and have no idea in which direction it is moving-"

"I know," Dani spoke up, her hand raised shyly next to her head, "I saw her mind, before she attacked. I saw her… path."

"Perfect!" Sakura exclaimed as a plan formed itself in her mind, "Dani, you go with Deidara and Sasori. From the bird, you can point out to them where to follow. The rest of us will wait ahead of the trail, where you think the demon is headed."

Dani nodded as Sakura snatched the mission scroll out of Itachi's side pouch and unrolled it for her. After a brief glance, Dani pointed to a small village at the coast.

"Here," she confirmed, "I saw this rock formation. She wants to go there because a strong current flows past this island, which will take her far away from land. She's been here before, long ago."

"Since when do we take orders from you, girl?" Sasori objected, sorely offended by Sakura's commanding actions.

"I'm sorry," Sakura responded mockingly, "It wasn't an order, just a suggestion. Take it or not."

"It was a valid suggestion," Itachi admitted as he took the mission scroll back from Sakura, "One we would be foolish to ignore."

Kisame and Deidara agreed, but Sasori remained intractably stoic.

As Deidara began molding a larger type of clay bird to carry his anticipated passenger, Itachi took Sakura aside.

"You will stay with the girl, and out of harm's way," he told her, and Sakura glared up at him in astonishment.

"What!? Why-"

"Your valiant attempts to conceal your chakra exhaustion are ineffective against my Sharingan, not that I was unable to see your weakness without it," Itachi responded quickly in an attempt to quell any further outbursts on Sakura's part. Sakura was unable to restrain the angry growl that escaped from the back of her throat in response to Itachi's sarcastic observation.

She was half tempted to ignore his suggestion out of sheer petulance. On the other hand, it meant that she would have a chance to get to know Dani a little, so she might as well take the opportunity. Besides, she would have to ask Itachi or Kisame to carry her with her energy levels so drained, which was a far more humiliating idea than hitching a ride on Deidara's clay bird.

"When the demon is found," Itachi continued, and he glared down at her as if trying to communicate that he was leaving no room for argument, "You will remain on the bird regardless of the course of the battle." Sakura narrowed her eyes at him.

"To the best of my …_ability_," she responded smugly, "But, once this mission is over, you and I are having a _discussion_, Uchiha."

"…We certainly are."

Itachi suddenly turned away and headed over to Kisame. He gave a curt order to prepare to leave, and Kisame nodded in understanding. He scooped Kattan up and tucked her securely under one arm.

"Take good care of Ka-chan for me, Kisame," Sakura asked politely.

"Pup's in good hands, Hime-chan," Kisame reassured her before trailing after Itachi through the ruins and out of the crater.

Sakura heard a loud pop and saw a cloud of smoke over where Deidara was standing. Dani squealed in excitement when she saw the huge clay bird and twirled around in circles before Deidara grabbed her hand and hauled her up onto the bird's back. Sakura noticed a small blush creep onto Deidara's cheeks as Dani scooted over close to him and wrapped her arms around one of his.

"I'm holding on tight, and ready to goooo!" she whooped as Sakura leapt up and sat behind them.

"Try to keep up Danna, hm," Deidara teased impishly.

"Just make sure you know where we're going, brat," Sasori grumbled.

The huge bird's powerful wing strokes kicked up clouds of dust as it took off into the sky. Dani directed Deidara to fly towards the south, through a narrow mountain valley. For the next hour, Dani pointed out every landmark and significant piece of changing landscape she saw with childlike enthusiasm.

"It's soooo cool way up here!" she hollered over the wind. To Deidara's credit, he remained impressively patient, and even responded to many of Dani's more nonsensical statements with enough interest to make Sakura think he really cared, a little.

Finally bored with the fairly consistent landscape of the Land of Rivers, Dani turned on Sakura, who was digging through her pouch for some rations, and began to interrogate her, "Sakura-chan! Are you a Shinobi?"

"Yeah," Sakura responded with a nod as she unwrapped one of the dry food bricks she had found.

"Cool! What can you do?"

"Uh, I'm a medic mostly," Sakura broke off a piece of the rations and handed it to Dani, who popped it in her mouth and immediately made a disgusted face. Sakura elaborated on her abilities, "I'm pretty good at some Taijutsu too, and basic standard Shinobi Jutsu."

Deidara snorted, "She's a - what did Kisame say, hm…. monster under all that pink, hm."

"Wow, you're awesome!" Dani laughed once she had choked back the nasty food Sakura was feeding her. Sakura blushed a little sheepishly at the remark as she took another bite of the rations herself.

The inquisitive Dani followed up immediately with another question, "How old are you?"

Sakura tried to hand Dani another piece of food, who refused with a grimace and a quick shake of her head. "I just turned fifteen a few weeks ago," Sakura responded.

"Gosh, you're so young!" Dani gasped, "Happy Birthday! …I don't know exactly when my birthday is, they never told me, but I can count the years, so I guess I'm around… nineteen."

The bird lurched as Deidara coughed in surprise, and then spun around to gawk at Dani in disbelief.

"Really!?" Sakura wondered in astonishment. While Dani looked younger than Sakura, and was even a little shorter than her, there was one thing that had Sakura actually convinced that she was older; most fourteen year olds don't have Tsunade-esque proportions.

"Is that old?" Dani asked truly concerned.

"No… just… you _look_ younger, hm," Deidara corrected with a slight grumble.

"How old are you?" Dani yanked on Deidara's arm eagerly.

"Same as you, hm," he responded simply.

"Cool! Then my birthday is going to be the same as yours, so we can have a party together!"

"Don't know exactly when that is, hm," Deidara admitted with a shrug. Dani's face fell, but she soon perked up again.

"I know! We'll just pick a day we like, and make it the official birthday day for everyone who doesn't have a birthday day yet, and we can all have a huge party together. How cool is that!?"

"Sounds like a plan, Da-chan," Sakura agreed with a grin.

"You're both silly, hm," Deidara grumbled, but both girls just giggled in response.

"Hey," something occurred to Deidara suddenly, and he turned to look at Dani again, "If you're telepathic, then why do you need to ask us this stuff, hm?"

Dani shrunk back slightly, but didn't let go of his arm. He looked genuinely curious, not accusatory, so Dani eventually answered.

"It only happens sometimes, mostly when I'm scared, and I have to be looking at you, I can't really control it all the time," she whispered, still a little nervous about talking about her strange abilities.

"It seems like there's more to you than that," Sakura told her with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Maybe we should train together. You might be able to learn some Shinobi techniques, and maybe even how to control your telepathy a little. Is that something you'd like to do?"

"With you, Sakura-chan?" Dani smiled, "I'd love to!"

* * *

It was only a few short hours of flying before the coast line came into view. Sakura scanned the area that Dani was certain the demon would appear in, and right along the water, several small towers of smoke were rising. Sakura hoped that it was just chimney smoke from a small village, but as they neared the beach strand, the damage to the landscape became painfully obvious.

Along the coast line, a tall steep cliff bordered a wide flat beach area. The tide was out, and the beach was expansive. An area of the cliff had collapsed several hundred meters inland and huge deep tracks marred the otherwise smooth sandy beach.

"We're too late," Sakura sighed with disappointment. Deidara landed his clay bird near the foot of the collapsed cliff where Itachi and Kisame were already waiting.

Itachi was scanning the horizon out at sea with his Sharingan activated for any signs of movement. Kisame was digging through the rubble absentmindedly half way down the beach as Kattan toddled along behind him. Sakura leapt off the bird, and helped Dani down. Together, they surveyed the damage, looking for clues.

"Do you have any idea why it bothered with such a tiny fishing village?" Sakura asked Dani. The area was littered with several small boats and the burning remnants of a few small fishing huts, but there were no signs that the area was once home to more than a few dozen people.

Dani shook her head, "Maybe it was just a coincidence… They were just in the way?"

"I'm going to scan the beach line from above, hm," Deidara informed them as he jumped back onto his bird and flew off. Dani waved happily as he left.

Sakura watched Itachi stare out into the ocean. She didn't approach him though, just in case he was still upset at her. He probably wouldn't appreciate her leaving the relative safety of Deidara's bird, but it wasn't like the demon was even in the area anymore, so it didn't really matter. Kisame and Kattan were heading further down the beach along the deep tracks, and in her fatigued state, Sakura didn't want to waste the more than twenty minutes of time it would take walking to catch up with them.

Behind her, Sakura unexpectedly heard a low earth shaking rumble. She wasn't too alarmed, since it was likely just the upturned earth giving way in a landslide. She gestured for Dani to step back from the cliff, in case more sections of it collapsed as well.

Dani didn't respond, and was staring eerily at the looming cliff face. Sakura realized with apprehension that her eyes had turned black.

"Da-chan!? What is it?" she asked, and Itachi, several hundred yards behind them, turned at the sound of Sakura's concern.

In the distance, far up the beach, Sakura heard Kattan yelp loudly. She looked past Dani to see the little black wolf tearing down the beach towards them with incredible speed, kicking up sand, and leaving an alarmed Kisame in her dust.

"She's here," Dani suddenly muttered darkly, drawing Sakura's concerned attention again.

"…Who?"

"… She's been waiting."

The cliff suddenly shattered and a deafening roar pierced the air. Sakura was barely able to shove Dani out of the way as the huge demon turtle flew out of the cliff side and onto the beach. The huge creature's foot sunk into the soft sand only feet from where Sakura and Dani had landed, but continued forward with surprising velocity from the force of its own momentum. It was on the attack.

As Sakura struggled to dodge the falling boulders from the collapsing cliff with Dani in tow, she noticed the demon had put Itachi in its sights. Itachi's chakra flared with an intensity that made Sakura's hair stand on end, and within seconds, a huge wall of raging black flame separated him from the demon. The turtle paused at the flames, and Itachi turned to run, apparently intent on reaching Sakura and Dani and taking them to safety.

Sakura watched in dismay as the three tails, its thick scales seemingly impervious to the black flames, shot its head through the searing wall with its gaping beak aiming for Itachi. His chakra still in a downward swing from the powerful jutsu he had just cast, Itachi was forced to rely only on his physical speed to try to dodge the unexpected attack.

"Itachi!" Sakura screamed, terrified that he wouldn't escape the startlingly fast demon in time. Before she could even register what she had done, she opened the fourth chakra gate and threw herself at the beast.

She had activated the time jutsu out of sheer instinct, and with the untamed chakra from the fourth gate swirling around her like a vortex, she grabbed one of the demon's hind legs. She could feel her body being burned by the chakra, but she ignored it as she welded herself to the soft ground with the chakra in her feet and latched onto the demon, stopping its forward momentum with enough force from the slowed time that its mouth slammed shut with an ear splitting crack, only inches from Itachi's body.

Ignoring the screaming protests of her shredding muscles, Sakura lurched forward with all of her might, flipping the monstrous turtle into the air and sending it crashing into the cliff on its back. Before the creature could even begin to react to its new predicament, Sakura ran over to it, and leapt up onto its exposed underside.

With time still slowed, Sakura used the last of the ferocious chakra the fourth gate had unleashed to slam both of her fists down onto the demon's softer under shell. The cracks formed slowly at first, then spread out instantly as Sakura lost control over her chakra and the time jutsu broke. The sound of the blow echoed along the cliffs like a gigantic peal of thunder.

Severely wounded from opening the fourth gate, and completely exhausted, Sakura was no longer able to summon even enough chakra to keep herself from sliding down the turtle's sloped shell. The demon was down, but even the force of Sakura's sudden attack wasn't enough to render it unconscious. It saw Sakura falling, and lashed out with one of its three huge tails.

"Sakura!"

She was loosing consciousness as she fell, but just before the impact that she was certain would kill her, she could have sworn she heard Itachi scream her name.

"_At least I saved him,_" she told herself, and it was oddly comforting.

Suddenly, Sakura felt herself enveloped by someone's arms, and it was only after the two of them came to a rolling stop far from the demon at the edge of the scrub forest did Sakura realize that, whoever it was, they had taken the blow from the demon's tail instead.

"Itachi?" Sakura tried to sit up, terrified that he had been severely wounded, only to find herself held down by a man wearing a bright orange mask, "-Tobi?!"

Shock and the memory of what Itachi had warned her of Tobi pushed her fully back into consciousness in spite of her injuries.

"Don't move too much Sakura-chan," he whimpered, "…Are you okay?"

Sakura tried to nod, but the ache in every one of her muscles prevented her from moving much at all. She laid back, temporarily resigning herself to immobility. She looked Tobi over for injuries of his own. Blood was gushing out of an unseen wound on his back, but he insisted that it was nothing.

Sakura suddenly felt Itachi's chakra spike again, and the demon roared in the distance. She managed to turn her head enough to see Itachi standing near the turtle's eyes, likely casting a Genjutsu on it to keep it sedated. Running with all of her might, Dani was heading towards Sakura and Tobi, worry etched onto her features. It would be a few minutes before she would be able to reach them.

"Help me sit up," Sakura asked Tobi, and he cocked his head at her.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Sakura-chan," he objected, and Sakura noticed that his tone had changed slightly. It wasn't childlike and whiny anymore, but more masculine, and arguably darker.

"Please," she implored, some feeling and movement thankfully returning to her body. After a few seconds, his shoulders fell in defeat.

"Ooookay," he relinquished in his more familiar tone, "Just take it easy. Pinky promise!"

After helping her into a sitting position, he held out his pinky. She hesitantly looped her pinky in his and sighed, "Sure… and thanks. For saving me."

Sakura felt Itachi's chakra pulse again, and he flickered out of sight. Seconds later he reappeared only a few feet from her. He crossed the remaining distance in what seemed like a single stride, and knelt down to her level, his swirling Sharingan eyes boring into her.

Before he could speak, Sakura jumped in, "I'm fine…thanks to Tobi."

Realizing the weight of the coming situation, Tobi scampered away towards Dani, who was hunched over and catching her breath still more than half as far away as she had been before.

"You were very nearly killed," Itachi ground out through clenched teeth. It was then that Sakura realized that she had _never_ seen him so angry before. He was trying desperately to hide it, but just under the emotionless façade, Sakura could tell that he was furious.

A little startled by his intensity, Sakura just gazed at him, not frightened or angry herself, just intrigued by his response to her having been in danger.

"You should have listened to me, and not interfered," he continued, visibly more calm since Sakura seemed to be simply agreeing.

But she was far from agreeing with him. She found the strength to rise to her feet suddenly out of pure astonished anger.

"And do what, exactly, Itachi!?" she screamed at him with surprising force for her condition, "Just stand by and watch you die!?"

"It would be a more favorable outcome than _your_ death!" his voice was raised in volume, though not in pitch, as his emotionless mask cracked ever so slightly.

Unfazed by Itachi actually yelling at her, Sakura shot back without thinking, "Do you have any idea what it would do to me if I lost you!?"

Taken aback by her own admission, Sakura gasped. Itachi's anger seemed to instantly melt, and even his Sharingan faded, leaving his dark charcoal eyes to stare at her as he answered in a whisper, "The same thing it would do to me if I lost you."

Her breath caught in her throat. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and the tears were falling before she knew it. Had she understood him correctly? Did he realize what had just said? Had he meant it? She was shaking slightly as her legs struggled to keep her standing, and Itachi stepped forward to support her.

"I'm not a child," Sakura asserted, shocked by Itachi's confession, but still stinging from the insult, "I'm not weak."

Itachi held her gently, his arms wrapped around her crossed arms, "But you are a child."

She stiffened in anger, and tried to step away from him, but he held her against himself.

"Sorry," he whispered quickly to placate her, "I mean that you are still young. Very young. You do not yet know your limits, as they are still changing. I never meant to imply that you are weak, only that you do not seem to know when to stop. You are young, and foolish, but not weak."

"I'm a Shinobi, just like you, Mr. ANBU captain at thirteen," Sakura snorted derisively, but she couldn't help but agree with him a little. Tsunade-shishou had told her once that the only thing Sakura lacked was experience. Maybe that's just what Itachi meant, too.

"You sacrifice yourself for others too easily," he continued, "You are too willing to die for others' sakes. Do not be so determined to rob the world of your presence."

Too exhausted to argue, and a little more understanding of some of Itachi's more annoying attributes, Sakura wiped her eyes, and nodded against his chest. Enjoying the warmth of his body, Sakura wrapped her arms around him for support, and pressed her ear against his chest to listen to his heart beat.

"…not too young for you to kiss, Mr. Fussypants, sir," she mumbled into his shirt slyly.

Before he could respond, Dani stumbled up to them, out of breath and slouched over in exhaustion.

"Goddammit," she wheezed, "How do you Shinobi do it!? Zipping around all over the place. Zip, zippy, zippers. Gah!"

Sakura laughed as Dani gestured wildly back towards where Deidara, Kisame and Sasori were trying to secure the demon for transport as Tobi climbed over it like a piece of playground equipment, "Do you see that!? Do you see how far- couldn't be more than a mile! Do you know how long it took me to get over here!?"

"I was watching the entire time," Sakura admitted, "I would have helped, if I was able."

Dani squeaked an apology suddenly once she finally noticed Itachi and Sakura standing with their arms around one another still, "Oh! Gosh, sorry. Am I interrupting…?"

Sakura shrugged a little awkwardly, but didn't step away from Itachi, "Uh… no? Not really. No."

"Well, it's not like…this," Dani wriggled a hand at the pair, "Was going on when I _started_ heading over here. I'm not being rude, it's just bad timing."

Dani's rant was cut short as Deidara swooped across the distance on a smaller bird than the one he had created to carry the demon. Dani skipped over to him and clambered up onto the bird with his help, "Yay! Now I don't have to walk back!"

"Sakura," he sounded detached and distant, and she wondered if it was the sight of Itachi holding her that had made him shut down a little, "Danna says the demon is bleeding out too quickly and might not make it to the sealing site, hm."

She nodded in understanding, "I'll stabilize it."

"No," Itachi countered, "You do not have the chakra."

"Don't argue with me, Itachi!" she snapped, but quickly reminded herself of his perspective, and calmed down, "Just… take me over there, okay?"

After Deidara had headed back with Dani, Itachi tried again, "You have no more chakra to spare."

"I know. That's why I need you to come with me," she reassured him, and he reluctantly picked her up into his arms.

He flashed over to the demon, near its head, and once Sakura had recovered from the vertigo of the jutsu, she gestured for him to take her closer.

"We need to sit close enough to touch it," she explained.

Seconds later, Deidara's clay bird arrived and Dani slipped off of it. She scampered over to Sakura to watch.

"We?" Itachi asked, though he complied without complaint and took a seat within arms length of the demon's huge head. Sakura propped herself comfortably in Itachi's lap, and took a hold of his hands in each of hers. Kattan came tearing over from around the other side of the turtle, and threw herself into Sakura's lap. The dirty but unharmed puppy rolled around and snorted in relief, and Sakura giggled as she began to elaborate on the jutsu she was planning.

"We're going to do an advanced medical jutsu my Shishou showed me once. It's for field medics who have run out of chakra but still need to heal people. Since medics tend to have good chakra control but low reserves, it gives us the ability to use the higher reserves of a teammate to continue working."

She placed Itachi's left hand over her heart and his right hand on the demon's monstrous beak. She covered his hands with hers, and began to focus.

"Just relax, and let your chakra flow naturally," she instructed as she began to draw his chakra out with a tiny bit of hers. Itachi's chakra reserves were staggering, and it was extraordinarily easy for Sakura to guide his more potent chakra into the demon and begin stabilizing the gaping wound on its stomach. Sakura found herself envying and admiring Itachi for his chakra; hers felt thin and watery compared to his.

"Cool…" Dani whispered as she gazed up at the demon, now glowing slightly with light green medical chakra.

"Should you be that close to that thing's mouth, hm?" Deidara walked over to Dani and crouched behind her, trying to persuade her away from the demon.

"It's okay," she assured him, "You said Itachi-san put her in a …Googitsu, right?"

Sakura nearly lost her focus laughing.

"Genjutsu, Gen-ju-tsu, hm! Geeze, you're almost as bad as Tobi, hm," Deidara corrected, though he was amused a bit himself. Dani just shrugged with an innocent smile on her face.

"It's alright, Deidara," Sakura confirmed, "It won't wake up."

Regardless, Deidara took a seat nearby, eyeing the huge turtle warily.

"You know something?" Dani began, a little more seriously, "I thought I'd be angry. I thought I'd hate her, when I saw her again."

"The demon?" Sakura clarified as she yawned. Focusing on controlling Itachi's chakra was exacerbating her chakra exhaustion, and with the adrenaline of the danger fully gone, it was getting harder for her to stay awake.

"Yeah…" Dani nodded wistfully, "I don't hate her at all. I never really was able to hate _anyone_, though, even if they hated me. I figure there's enough hate in the world without me making more of it."

"That's so true, Da-chan," Sakura agreed respectfully, a little surprised by Dani's sudden bout of wisdom.

"I think, I might actually love her a little, you know?"

"What?" Deidara interrupted and shook his head, aghast, "That thing wiped out your entire village, hm, nearly killed you!"

"I know," Dani nodded but didn't relent, "But if that bad stuff never happened, I wouldn't be here. If she hadn't killed the people who called themselves my family, though they really didn't act like it, then I wouldn't be here… with people that I think I might be able to call family some day… and mean it."

Deidara seemed a bit stunned, but didn't disagree.

"I think I'm starting to realize something myself," Sakura shared with a wistful smile, "A good friend of mine one told me something similar. She said that things never seem to turn out the way we plan, but that it isn't always a bad thing. I didn't completely agree then, but I think I do now."

Dani nodded earnestly. Sakura sighed with contentment as she was beginning to surrender to the fuzzy darkness that pressed at the edges of her vision.

"_Maybe Itachi was right about me not knowing my own limits_," she considered as her eyelids became too heavy to lift and she leaned against him completely.

The demon seemed stabilized, so Sakura dropped her hands down onto Kattan's fluffy head and petted her gently.

"_It seems like every time I do something new, I pass out…"_

And just as she finished her thought, Sakura drifted off to sleep cradled in Itachi's arms.

* * *

A/N: So much happens in this chapter, I'm not sure what to discuss! I hope everyone likes Dani, she has some very important things to contribute to the plot, so she isn't some Mary Sue, or anything lame like that. She has a personality, after all. The three tails, in the anime, isn't quite as cool looking as I had imagined it when we just got glimpses of it in the manga. I imagined a giant three tailed alligator snapping turtle, so my version has a beak, not that odd toothy thing the anime one has, so there! I hope the fighting/action was satisfactory. I guess I'll find out for sure in the reviews. Seriously, tear me a new one if you really want to, it's the only way I'll learn how to do better!

Also, manga rant Canon!Nagato is a whiny narcissistic baby. I want to punch him and scream "Man up, bitch!" My version of him is going to be way cooler. /manga rant

Only a few chapters to go, some surprises, and setting up the first arc for part three, that I know you'll all love. Muahahaha! I hope some questions and concerns I got in reviews were adressed at least a little in this chapter.

Speaking of reviews, many people want to know what people in Konoha know, so I started a series of one shots that do just that. The first one is already up, it's called "The Flower Fades" and it's a sad one, from Lee's POV. I know! Emo!Lee, WTF!? No, it works... well, I hope it does.


	12. Bound

**Soutou "Struggle"**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Bound**

**Struggle - to move and wriggle forcefully in an attempt to escape.**

* * *

Nothing seemed tangible as Sakura drifted in and out of consciousness. She was lying in bed, that much she was sure of. The sheets were warm and smelled familiar, and while she couldn't place the memory, she felt comforted and knew she was safe. She would pry her eyes open, or try. She caught glimpses of the room. Things seemed so real, and for an instant, she thought she was back at home in Konoha, in her own room in her mother's home, and it was a weekend. Her mother would be beside her bed any minute, smelling of breakfast and black coffee and scolding Sakura for wasting such a gorgeous day inside.

"Get out of bed, lazy head. You've got things to do today."

"I'll get up when I'm good and ready," Sakura grumbled into her pillow.

Her mother vanished.

The room was the same; the small twin sized bed was pressed against one wall of the long rectangular room, the soft billowy curtains danced in the breeze coming in through the tall open window. Familiar, yet Sakura felt a sudden sense of alarm. It wasn't right. Something was wrong.

She wasn't supposed to be here.

Just as the panic threatened to overwhelm her, everything changed. She was in a small sparse square room, with a tiny window that let in only a small amount of rainy grey daylight. Relief washed over her as her senses returned. She was in Ame, in Itachi's room.

As her focus on the world sharpened, Sakura was able to make out the soft clink of ceramic against wood and the whisper of brush against paper. At the small desk near the foot of the bed, Itachi sat with his back to her, painting lines of kanji with the intensity of meditation.

Sakura tried to sit up, but the ache in her muscles was so intense that she gave up after only a few seconds and fell back into the pillow, exhausted. Her chakra was flowing erratically, and Sakura quickly realized that opening the fourth chakra gate had caused damage to her body so severe that it still hadn't fully healed. But, how long had she been asleep? Itachi turned to face her at the sound of her stirring.

"Itachi…" she groaned. Her throat was dry and her voice was barely a whisper from lack of use, "I have to pee!"

Sakura thought she saw him roll his eyes before he made his way to the side of the bed and helped her sit up. With a wince, Sakura threw her legs over the edge of the bed and hauled herself to her feet. Standing, once she got there, wasn't so bad, so she was able to hobble over to the bathroom with little help from Itachi.

He waited patiently on the other side of the closed door in case she needed anything.

After first seeing to the most pressing matter in the bathroom, Sakura surveyed herself in the mirror. She looked a little pale and scruffy, but seemed otherwise in good shape. She washed her hands and patted them dry on the oversized black t-shirt she was wearing. It obviously was Itachi's, and it reminded Sakura of her urgent questions about the demon and what had happened since the mission.

Sakura shuffled out of the bathroom and flopped back down onto the bed with a grunt, "How long was I out?"

Itachi had followed her back from the bathroom and sat cross legged at the foot of the bed, "Three weeks."

Sakura would have bolted upright had her condition allowed it. As it was, she settled for a raspy squeal of shock, "Three weeks!? What happened? The demon!?"

"Has been sealed," Itachi eyed her calmly.

"Dani!?"

"To my most recent knowledge is making God only knows what kind of awful mess in the kitchen under Deidara's dubious supervision."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. She was still a little shaken by the knowledge that she had exhausted herself to the point of lapsing into a coma, but everything else seemed fine. The demon had been captured. Dani was safe.

"Rest. You still need it," Itachi stood and went to gather the tea pot from the desk, "I will brave the common room to make you some tea. Are you hungry?"

Sakura smiled at him from her prone position on top of the bed sheets, "Do you even have to ask?"

That time, Sakura definitely saw him roll his eyes and smirk a little before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

While she waited for Itachi to return, Sakura had managed to doze off again. Her light nap was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door flying open. It bounced off of the cement wall with a squeaky crash.

"Sakura-chaaan!"

Dani leapt into the bed, and Sakura gasped in pain as her inflamed muscles seized up in shock.

"Da-chan!" she yelped, "Get off!"

"Wah! Sorry," the brunette hopped back out of the bed, and flailed around in excitement, "Itachi-chan said you were awake! I'm so glad! I was worried sick, you know!"

"I know, I'm not quite one hundred percent, though… Are you okay?" Sakura asked once Dani had managed to calm down a little.

"Okay!? This place is awesome! They even have a waffle iron! Yesterday, Tobi showed me how to make waffles!"

Sakura laughed softly as she listened to Dani continue rambling about waffles, cupcakes, and other assorted baked goods with the kind of energy only a sugar high could produce. It seemed like most of the Akatsuki were being quite welcoming to her, and considering Dani's unique abilities, if anyone had anything but the best of intentions, the young woman would be the first to know. Sakura was beginning to believe that they really were capable of being nice just for the sake of it; not only when it was convenient, and not only when it was for their own benefit. In any case, Dani's ability to trust someone, like Kattan's, weighed heavily in on Sakura's ability to do the same.

Just when Dani seemed to be nearing the end of her long list of culinary adventures, Itachi re-entered the room.

"Get out," he ordered as he set a small tray of tea and food on the desk near the head of the bed.

Dani saluted enthusiastically, "Yes sir, Mr. Fussypants, sir! Sakura-chan needs her rest and all!"

Itachi ignored her and stirred some sugar into the tea for Sakura.

As Dani passed through the threshold, she turned back urgently as if she suddenly remembered something of importance, "Oh! Kisame-chan is teaching me how to play Shogi, so when you feel better, come down and challenge me-!"

"Out," Itachi interrupted her, stalked over to the door, and shut it in her face.

Sakura's sides were hurting a little from restrained laughter, and she grimaced past her grin as she sat up to eat. Itachi shook his head as if to clear it of Dani's rambling, and handed Sakura a cup of tea.

"I'm so glad we were able to save her," Sakura mused and sipped her tea. Itachi raised an incredulous eyebrow, then handed her a small onigiri, which she promptly inhaled. Silence lingered as Itachi continued to pass onigiri to Sakura, who practically swallowed them whole between breaths and gulps of tea.

Once the food and tea were gone, Sakura leaned back against the headboard, propped up slightly with her pillow. She wasn't sleepy anymore, and the food was already beginning to bolster her chakra reserves. Once they were better restored, Sakura planned to heal the lingering damage to her chakra pathways and be out of bed on a matter of hours.

Itachi had returned to his kanji. Sakura was quite certain she wouldn't get much out of him, but decided that even a one sided conversation was a better cure for boredom than none at all.

"What does your leader think of all this?" she asked with a hit of sarcasm.

Itachi paused for a moment, "He is unperturbed. Though, he does wish to speak with you once you are well."

Sakura clicked her tongue, "Is that bad?"

"His partner has assured me that he bears no ill will towards you," he corrected. Itachi dipped his brush into the ink and began a new line.

"You believe that?"

Itachi continued painting in silence. Once he finished the line, he sat his brush aside and turned to look at Sakura. She was waiting patiently for an answer, doing her best to not over think things and make herself nervous.

"I respect him," Itachi stared at a spot on the floor in the corner of the room, "He and I are on the same level in many important matters." His eyes flicked upwards to a spot on the ceiling, "He is beginning to see you as I do, and therefore I no longer consider him a threat to your safety."

Sakura cocked her head, "See me… how?"

Itachi turned back to his painting, "I do not know what he wishes to speak to you about."

Sakura glared at the back of his head, her lips pursed in a pout. His change of focus and his avoidance of the question was a clear sign to her that the conversation was over. Sometimes, she felt as if she would be able to glean more information from a conversation with a brick wall.

As boredom set in, so did the pain. She had been distracted before, but now that Sakura was trying to sit still, her strained muscles refused to cooperate. Her legs and back especially would twitch and pull even if all she did was try to take a deep breath. Sakura didn't waste the chakra on soothing the pain; she would need her energy to heal the damage once she was well enough to perform medical jutsu.

"_Just another hour or so_," she reassured herself, "_Then you can start healing and be done with it._"

A particularly bad cramp erupted in her calf suddenly, causing her to double over in pain with a hiss as she tried to rub the stiffness out of the muscle. Her foot was curling in on itself from the strain as her muscles involuntarily contracted. Sakura whimpered, but grit her teeth. It would pass.

Itachi was by her side in a flash.

"Stubborn," he mumbled. He pushed her hands out of the way, and began massaging the offending appendage himself. Sakura was beyond surprised when she saw green healing chakra flow from his hands.

"You know medical jutsu?" she gaped at him.

"I am no fool, I simply know the difference between chakra types," he motioned for her to lie down and roll over. Sakura shot him a questioning glance before slowly lowering herself down onto her stomach. She heard him pull the chair up next to the bed.

"Eh!?" she squeaked as she felt his strong hands against her back. He gently massaged her back and legs, sending small amounts of soothing medical chakra into her muscles. Sakura relaxed, and breathed a sigh of relief into the pillow. She hadn't been sleepy anymore, but Itachi's surprisingly skilled hands had melted the tension in Sakura's body, and she found herself struggling to stay awake.

"_Ah,_ o_ne more nap couldn't hurt_," she reasoned and snuggled down into the bed. Sakura closed her eyes, and Itachi didn't stop rubbing her back even as she stilled completely and fell asleep.

* * *

Sakura woke feeling much better. She stretched and yawned, and felt no pain. It was a relief to be able to sit upright without help, and she scooted out of the bed with enthusiasm. The room was empty, though Itachi had left his kanji lying out on the desk. The tea he had also left out was cold, and Sakura wondered where he had gone. She dragged out her things and changed into her regular clothes, which someone had washed. On her way out of the bedroom, she slung on her Akatsuki cloak.

Her chakra was almost fully restored, so she reached out and searched the area quickly for any familiar signatures. Itachi, Dani and someone only vaguely familiar were in the common room. The rest of the building, as far as Sakura could tell, was empty.

She scurried onto the landing and down the spiral staircase, healing some of her chakra pathways as she went. She would have to do the repairs to her system in stages, she realized, if she didn't want to completely drain her chakra reserves down to nothing again. Opening the fourth gate without training had done a worse number on her than Sakura had first appreciated. She would have to be much more careful in the future. Opening even just the fifth gate at this point could kill her, even with her improving chakra control.

"Sakura-chan, you're feeling better!?" Dani chirped from her seat at the long wooden table adjacent to the kitchen. A large box of crayons was scattered across the table's surface, and Dani sat hunched over a children's coloring book like it was something precious. She had a pink crayon in one hand, and the stump of a green one in the other. The large blank wall nearby was no longer empty; it already had nearly a dozen colored paged taped haphazardly across its surface.

"Gods, are you sure you're nineteen?" Sakura teased and peered at the fat toddler shaped pony that giggled at her from the coloring book page.

"Nurture your inner child, Sakura-chan. Here," Dani tore a clean page from the book and passed it to Sakura along with a fist full of random crayons, "It's healthy."

Sakura laughed, and relented. She pulled up a chair next to Dani and began coloring away with a yellow crayon on the fluffy kitten picture.

"Pass the pink one," Sakura asked. She took the crayon Dani offered and colored the kitten's ears and nose.

From the kitchen, the scent of miso soup began to fill the room. Sakura looked over at the stove and saw Itachi fussing away at a pot, chopping green onions and piling them into the soup. He seemed content, and oddly in his element. Sakura knew he could cook at least a little, but she never thought she'd see him like that. It was too domestic.

The sound of a page turning drew Sakura's attention to the couch that faced the empty fireplace. The blue haired woman Sakura had seen as she had last left Ame was curled up in one corner of the couch with a small book that looked like fiction. Her Akatsuki robe was wrapped around her like a blanket, and her bare feet barely poked out of the edge.

"Oh, hello!" Sakura greeted. She was excited at the prospect of befriending a fellow kunoichi, especially in an organization like Akatsuki, which seemed to attract few female members.

The woman looked up from her reading calmly and nodded at Sakura, "Sakura-san."

She figured she shouldn't be too surprised that she knew her name, but Sakura was still unsure where to go from there.

"Uhh," she rolled her crayon in her fingers.

"Konan," the woman said. She turned another page in her book.

Sakura picked at the loose paper on her crayon, "… pleasure to meet you."

"You as well," Konan responded and returned fully to her reading. Sakura decided to leave her to it.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Dani elbowed her then continued coloring, "I was wondering, what kind of dog is Ka-chan?"

Sakura colored the grass the kitten was playing in a dark emerald green.

"She isn't a dog at all," Sakura said, "She's some kind of wolf, I think. I'm not sure what type."

"Oh."

"…why?"

Itachi walked around the kitchen island with two bowls in his hands. He sat one in front of Dani and the other in front of Sakura.

"Thanks!" Sakura said as he headed back into the kitchen and grabbed another two bowls, "Speaking of Ka-chan, where is she?"

"Oh, she went with Kisame-chan and Dei-chan," Dani set her coloring book aside and pulled the soup bowl right up under her face. She took a huge slurp.

"Where did they go?" Sakura sniffed the soup and grinned. It smelled delicious.

"To the bar, I think," Dani shrugged.

"Figures," Sakura shook her head then dove into the soup.

Itachi handed a bowl of soup to Konan, who sat up on the couch, but didn't join them. Sakura pushed her drawing and crayons aside so Itachi could sit next to her at the table.

"Anyway," Dani set her soup down for a second, "About Ka-chan…"

Sakura nodded, but continued sipping her soup.

Dani sighed, "I think she's… like me."

Sakura blinked and raised an eyebrow. She set the soup down slowly, "You mean, telepathic?"

"Sort of," Dani tilted her head back and forth, "More like… what's it called? Apathetic?"

Sakura made a face, "I think you mean empathic."

"Yeah, that one."

"Huh," Sakura gazed into her soup bowl. It certainly explained some things. Sakura had always attributed the puppy's sharp intellect to some sixth sense. Now, she just knew which sense that was. Still, it raised as many questions as answers.

"I still don't get why she likes _you_," Sakura poked Itachi in the side just as he held up his bowl and sipped another mouthful.

He flinched, but to his credit, didn't sputter soup all over the table. He glowered at Sakura as she giggled at him.

"Be nice. I made you soup," he scolded.

"It doesn't freak you out?" Dani cocked her head at Sakura, who was grinning slyly at an annoyed Itachi and waiting for the opportunity to poke him again.

"No…" Sakura turned in her chair to face Dani, "But it does make me wonder… Is it the kind of wolf she is, or is she just _that_ unique?"

"There is a small library," Konan spoke up suddenly as she rose to her feet with her empty soup bowl in hand. She seemed to glide across the floor as she headed into the kitchen, "Up the first flight of stairs. The _first_, only."

"I think she means we aren't allowed up the second flight of stairs," Dani volunteered.

"… I know, Da-chan," Sakura patted Dani on the head, who stuck her tongue out and mocked Sakura playfully.

"Before we do that, Itachi, you said the leader wanted to talk," Sakura reminded him, then drained the last of the soup from her bowl.

It was Konan who answered, "He is busy, and will summon you when he's ready. Just don't leave the premises for now."

Sakura nodded. Konan seemed to know more about the base in Ame _and_ the leader than even Itachi did. It made her wonder…

"_Oh!_" Sakura stifled a pleased gasp as it dawned on her, "_Konan is the leader's partner that Itachi was talking about! Shannaro! That's right, women rule_."

Dani slurped up the last of her soup and grabbed Sakura by the hand, "Come on! Let's go do research!"

Sakura barely had time to drop her bowl off in the sink before Dani dragged her through the larger door way and up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs was a room as large as the common room. It had a floor to ceiling window as well, but otherwise was filled to the brim with rows upon rows of simple wooden shelves stacked high with books and scrolls. On the opposite wall, another flight of stairs, more narrow than the last, continued upwards.

"Oh, wow!" Dani scurried into the room, dragging Sakura behind her. It was hard to discern any real order to the shelves, but Sakura noticed that books of a similar subject or use tended to be grouped together. Not all were simply informational. Many books were fiction, some were poetry, and others were just filled with art. Sakura foresaw herself spending the better part of her life in this room.

They began scanning the shelves for biology texts and books on animals. Sakura's mind wandered as she searched.

"Hey, Da-chan," she blew the dust off of an old book, read the title, and disappointed, pushed it back into the shelf, "You said you made waffles with Tobi."

Dani pulled a stack of books off of the shelf down the row from Sakura, "Yeah, they were awesome. Haven't seen him in a few days, though. I think he left when that creepy Zetsu guy did."

"What do you think of him? Tobi."

Dani paused, glanced around the room quickly, and scooted over closer to Sakura, dragging her book pile with her.

"… He's okay. Well… I actually don't know," she admitted at a whisper.

"Did you get a chance to read his mind at all?" Sakura leaned in, concerned. Ever since Tobi had saved her from the three tails, Sakura had doubted the extent of Itachi's warning. Maybe Itachi just had a grudge against the guy for some reason, and he really wasn't that dangerous at all? Sakura had hoped that Dani would be able to shed some light on the strange mask wearing man.

"I did," Dani nodded and her eyes darted from side to side again, "I was excited about waffles, I guess. I accidentally read Deidara's mind some…"

She paused briefly and a small blush crept onto her cheeks. Sakura didn't have to guess twice about the subject of the thoughts Deidara had been having. Men.

"Unimportant! Anyway," Dani shook her head and continued, "When I looked at Tobi, I got nothing."

"Nothing, like he's mindless?"

"No, more like, static. Like something was intentionally blocking the signal somehow. I think he's able to stop me from reading his mind," Dani looked concerned, but not so alarmed that Sakura's guard went up. Just more questions. Maybe she would have to just go straight to the source and ask Tobi himself what he did to piss Itachi off.

Itachi would just hate that.

"Oh!" Dani yelped and held out a book for Sakura to inspect, "What about this one?"

Sakura read the title, "… Mythological Animals? I guess it's worth a try. Best one so far, anyway."

"Yeah, at least it's about animals."

Sakura opened to the index and scanned for wolves. There was an entire section and when she turned to it, the title image made her breath catch in her throat, "That's them. That's exactly what they looked like."

The silver and grey wolf was not very well drawn, but it was done to scale, next to an image of a horse and a human. The wolf was as large as the horse.

Dani read over Sakura's shoulder, "Dire wolf? Named after an extinct ancient wolf, the mythological version could cast magic?"

"I think they mean jutsu. Supposedly extinct now too, if you ever believed in them to begin with," Sakura turned the page, "According to legend, since no scientific account of the animal exists, they were widely hunted for fur and sport. And killed out of fear… they were highly intelligent. Some people tried to tame them, but they inevitably turned on their masters when they became smart enough to know that they could kill them…"

Dani glanced at Sakura nervously, "But Ka-chan would never do that."

"I know," Sakura agreed, "But that might explain why the bandits had the puppies. They wanted guard wolves."

"Well," Dani snorted, "If those kinds of people kidnapped me, I'd bite their heads off too!"

Sakura laughed.

"Hime-chan!" Kisame suddenly shouted up the stairs. It sounded urgent. Dani and Sakura shoved the books back onto the shelves in a hurry.

"Hime-chan, you've got to see this!"

"Coming!" she shouted back as they put the last book away.

"Did you guys have fun at the bar?" Sakura teased as she skipped down the stairs. At the bottom, she was immediately assaulted by a huge ball of black fur. Kattan had leapt up into her arms and began licking at Sakura's face furiously.

"Gah, Ka-chan!" she held the puppy out for inspection, "What has Kisame been feeding you these past few weeks!? Growth hormone!?" The wolf pup was still very much a puppy, but now weighed nearly fifty pounds, easily.

"Oh, Pup's just growing like she should," Kisame defended and patted Sakura on the head fondly.

"Pay attention, this is important, hm!" Deidara shouted. He had his hands pressed flat against the dining table, a book spread out in front of him.

"Someone's got sand in their shorty short shorts," Dani made a pouty face. Deidara raised an eyebrow at Dani's silliness and relaxed a little, but pushed the book towards Sakura for her to read. Itachi, drawn by the commotion, walked calmly down from the bedroom and up to the book both Deidara and Kisame were insisting needed to be read.

Deidara explained, "Kakuzu, on his way out to the two tails mission, dropped off the new edition of the Bingo book earlier in the week, you know how he is, hm. So we took it to the bar to read for fun, and-"

Kisame cut him off, "who do we find in the new additions section? Our very own Hime-chan."

"What!?" Sakura nearly dropped Kattan in shock and rushed over to the open pages. Itachi had closed his eyes in apparent contemplation, and he stepped aside to make room at the table for Sakura.

Sure enough, grinning back at her from the left page, was a newly graduated pink haired green eyed Chuunin medic-nin. The book described a reward only for her safe return directly to Konoha. It listed her as kidnapped. Kidnapped, by Akatsuki.

Sakura slumped down into the nearest chair. Kattan whimpered and tried to nuzzle down into Sakura's lap to comfort her.

"How could they have found out?" Dani asked.

"That picture looks an awful lot like the one that jag off in Koueki showed us, remember?" Kisame suggested.

"It seems logical," Itachi agreed.

Kisame bent down to Sakura's level, "Sorry for sticking out like such a sore thumb, Hime-chan-"

"It's not your fault!" Sakura interrupted a little more forcefully than she had meant to.

Everyone stood utterly still in their spots around the table, waiting for Sakura's reaction.

She leapt up suddenly, muttered a half hearted 'sorry' and retreated into Itachi's bedroom. She needed to be alone to think.

The second the bedroom door clicked shut behind her, Sakura collapsed to the floor. The worst possible thing that could happen, aside from someone's untimely death, had just happened. Konoha knew she was alive. The council knew she was alive. Naruto knew she was alive. And they thought she was kidnapped by Akatsuki.

Hell itself wouldn't be able to stop Naruto from charging head long into a trap in an attempt to rescue her. And she didn't even need rescuing. She was putting her best friend in danger, leading him to Akatsuki's waiting arms, and what had she been doing less than an hour ago? Coloring and laughing and eating soup!

Using her against Naruto may not have been their original intention, but it seemed they would be reaping the benefits regardless.

"What am I going to do?" she sobbed as she dragged herself onto the bed. Sakura's head spun. She felt paralyzed. There was nothing she could do to save her friends from suffering. The truth would hurt them. Every conceivable lie would hurt them.

"Someone… tell me what to do," she whispered into the air. There was no response.

After several minutes of fruitless fretting, Sakura heard a knock on the door. She didn't answer, but the door swung open regardless. Itachi stepped in, and shut the door behind himself. He walked over and sat down on the bed next to Sakura. Neither of them spoke for quite a while.

Outside, Sakura heard a storm approach. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and every few minutes a streak of lightning would illuminate the small window like sunlight.

"Please," Sakura implored, "Don't use this against him."

Itachi shook his head, "That was never my intention."

Sakura took a shaky breath and picked at her skirt, "What am I going to do?"

The wind picked up outside.

"Return to Konoha."

Sakura's head snapped to the side and she stared up at Itachi wide eyed but too shocked at first to speak.

"It will be safer for you there now."

"No, it won't!" she finally found her voice with the absurdity of Itachi's suggestion, "The council want me dead! Remember?"

"They will pardon you if you give them the kinjutsu and information about Akatsuki. I know this with absolute certainty."

Sakura was having difficulty keeping her mouth from dropping open, "Betray Akatsuki!? What if… someone could get hurt! It would be bad for you too!"

"That does not matter."

Sakura stood and glared at Itachi, who gazed calmly back. She gestured widely at the both of them, "Then, what was… all of… this! What is this!? What am I to you!?"

Itachi's gaze hit the floor, "Nothing you think."

Sakura felt her heart clench, and she reflexively reached up and pressed her hands against her throat, "…what?"

It was barely a whisper, almost impossible to hear over the wind and rain beating against the glass window panes, but it carried more emotion than if Sakura had been shouting.

Itachi sat perfectly still at the foot of the bed. His posture betrayed no emotion, and his voice was as strong and solid as ever, "I only needed to keep you safe."

She clutched at her shirt, "… why?"

"Sasuke…"

Sakura's knuckles turned white at the name. It sounded so odd coming from Itachi's lips. Almost as if he had no right to say it. And as much as he had hurt Sasuke, he really didn't.

"He loves you."

Sakura's arms fell limply to her sides. "Stupid," she spat, "He does not."

"He does. He smiled for you. He only ever smiled for mother like that."

Sakura was terribly confused. Questions flew through her mind with such force that she had difficulty grasping at any one to try to ask it. But one growing fear overshadowed them all. It made the air seem thick, and made Sakura want to run from the room and shut out the world. Was it happening again? History repeats.

"What the fuck are you getting at, Itachi!?" Sakura finally stared shouting again, her fists raised as if she was using every ounce of her will power to refrain from hitting him.

"I thought you would die without help. I was proven somewhat wrong in that respect, but regardless… I acted the way I did… so you would stay of your own accord."

The lightning was closer, and it thundered so loudly that Sakura jumped a little, "…acted."

"Sasuke wants to kill me. I think he should. He is going to need you in the end."

The rain was hitting the window like bullets. Tears streamed down Sakura's face. She couldn't look at him anymore.

"You were lying!? You lied to me!? You made me think-"

He cut her off, "Go home, Sakura."

"_You never loved me_," Sakura's tears splashed onto the cold cement floor. The wind howled. Sakura turned on her heel, and ran.

* * *

The storm had passed, but the evidence lingered. The cement was wet and Sakura could feel the cold seeping in through her cloak as she sat on the ledge of one of the huge canals that snaked through the city. There wasn't another person in sight. There was no color in Ame after the rain, only the stark grey cement and steel buildings jutting up through the rising fog like fragments of bone.

Sakura dangled her legs over the edge of the canal and stared into the rushing turbid floodwater swirling only a few inches from the bottom of her feet. Bits of debris and garbage swept past her, carried by the fast moving water. A dead rat, stiff and bloated from drowning, bounced against the canal wall like a bath toy, before being sucked down into a storm drain and out of Sakura's view.

The only sound was the rushing water. Sakura pulled her legs up to her chin and hugged herself fiercely. The cheerful calm that had pervaded the village when Sakura had first visited seemed completely gone. Ame was ugly to her now. Sakura hated it there.

Sakura didn't turn around when she noticed the crunch of shoes against the wet cement behind her. The person approached her left, and Sakura remained staring at the canal even as he stooped down and sat next to her. She noticed out of her peripheral vision his black cloak with red clouds as he threw one leg over the ledge and tucked the other against his chest.

"Sakura-san," his voice was deep but hollow and Sakura finally looked up to meet his gaze out of the corner of her eye. He sat tall beside her, coolly observing her with impassive swirling eyes. Layers of concentric circles surrounded his pupils and his eyes were a jaundiced color. A myriad of assorted piercings, in places Sakura didn't think metal belonged on the human body, stood out starkly against his pale skin and bright orange hair. She had only seen him in the dark silhouette of a projection jutsu before, but it was enough for her to immediately recognize Akatsuki's leader.

Strangely, Sakura realized that she wasn't as intimidated by him as she thought she would be. Seeing him in person should have been a momentous occasion, but Sakura was indifferent. Not much could shock her after… She turned her gaze back to the raging water at her feet.

He began speaking, casually, as if his only purpose for seeking her out was to make light conversation. Sakura knew otherwise.

"There were once ten positions open in Akatsuki. That number is now nine because nearly seven years ago now, one of our first members managed to escape the organization with his ring. During a scuffle with Itachi, he accidentally removed the ring without my permission. … Orochimaru."

Sakura gritted her teeth and barely resisted the urge to hiss at the sound of that name.

"Do you know who he is?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," she stated. She blamed the snake for everything; Sasuke leaving, being forced to become a missing-nin herself, and even Itachi, indirectly.

He didn't ask her to clarify before he continued.

"He was an annoyance, little more. Sasori has spies that keep an eye on him and help guarantee that he does not interfere with our goal. His recent interest in the three tails, however, and the resulting difficulty it caused us, has convinced me that allowing him to roam freely can no longer be allowed."

"Why are you telling me this? I'm not one of your little criminals," Sakura spat.

His eyes narrowed and he reached out towards Sakura's left hand. Sakura could feel the air thicken as he let his immense chakra spill out of its bounds. Her shoulders tensed. She was startled out of her sour mood enough to regard the man sitting calmly next to her with a little more caution. Reluctantly, Sakura let him pull her hand towards him. He began to gently massage her pinky between his thumb and forefinger. Sakura eyed his hand warily but didn't protest.

"Ah, yes. You had said as much to Itachi while on the mission, so I've been told. Another thing, which can no longer be allowed."

Sakura's throat tightened slightly, "_I bet Sasori was the one to tell him that._"

"You have no respect for authority-"

"I have plenty of respect," Sakura interrupted, "for people who deserve it!"

She tried to yank her hand away, but he held fast with enough strength that she would have needed to use chakra to escape. He gripped her pinky roughly, but only seconds later, released her. Unfazed, Sakura merely stared him down.

"I have a mission for you, kunoichi. If you refuse, you and your wards will no longer be welcome in Ame. Members will have orders to kill you on sight."

Sakura clenched her fists and turned to face him fully. Was he threatening Dani and Kattan too? What else could go wrong in one day?

He seemed completely unfazed by her rage, "In an attempt to indirectly eliminate Orochimaru, Sasori leaked information regarding Orochimaru's bases to the Leaf. They managed to locate him, but he escaped unharmed. There are only three places he would have gone to from that location. You are to track down and assassinate Orochimaru, and return with the ring he stole. In short, locate the ring, and it is yours, Sakura-san."

Her heart skipped, and it suddenly was hard for her to breathe, "…Are you?"

"You do not take orders well. I cannot afford to risk you impeding the goal. You will make yourself useful, or you will be eliminated. Understand?"

Sakura was numb, but managed to catch onto one lingering issue, "What goal?"

He closed his eyes, and a small sly smile graced his lips for just a moment, "Ah, yes. I suppose you would like to know. Everyone here has their own personal goals, which I do not begrudge them, provided they do not interfere with Akatsuki's primary goal… peace."

The incredulous huff leapt past her lips without Sakura's permission. It was too late to stuff her opinion back into her mouth, so Sakura shared it, "Peace? I have to admit, in general, Akatsuki's not as absolutely evil as I once thought, but violence is violence. You can't make peace with violence! And what the hell are the demons for, then?"

"Your naivety is not charming. Humans are inherently cruel, and always will be. They will only appreciate peace if they can be made to understand pain. The bijuu are weapons, and there can be no peace without an enforcer. The demons will help keep the peace we strive for, if they are wielded by the correct hands."

"Oh, yeah?" Sakura sighed and let her vision wander back to the water in the canal, "And whose hands are the right ones?"

He was silent for a second, and Sakura felt his aura shrink minutely, giving her room to breathe easily again.

"Mine."

Sakura shook her head, "Your hubris is not charming."

He didn't react to her remark, and instead joined her in staring at the floodwater below them.

Sakura wasn't the naive one, as far as she could tell. This guy had the gall to assume that he had the answers for everything, that he could make peace, and worse, that it could be done somehow through violence. Sakura knew that wasn't right. How could it be? It couldn't be. There was a better answer. Maybe it was her mood, maybe it was her thoughts about Itachi, but Sakura just couldn't think of an answer that would satisfy. Peace. It would be nice. It would certainly help make protecting everyone easier. What would Naruto think? What would he do?

"Do you accept the mission?" he finally broke the silence with the question that had been hanging between them.

Sakura shrugged, "I… don't know yet. Give me some time to… think."

He gave a single curt nod before rising to his feet, "You have until sundown. Silence will be perceived as refusal."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away.

Sakura let her mind drift like a piece of flotsam in the dirty floodwater. Exhausted with the day's events, she didn't bother actively wading through the murk that filled her head, hoping something would wash itself to shore and bring her divine inspiration and answer all of her questions. The dusty grey daylight was beginning to fade.

People were finally beginning to stir as night approached. Confident that the torrential rain that had temporarily chased them indoors had passed, they ventured out again to resume their duties. As Sakura sat passively, still seemingly entranced by the canal water, vendors and merchants re-opened shop and customers began to file into the narrow streets. The lanterns were lit.

Sakura was startled out of her stupor by a flurry of movement to her right. She hadn't noticed the small child scurry up to her.

"Whatcha' lookin' for?" he sat in imitation of her, and looked down at the water with curiosity, trying to see what it was that Sakura found so interesting.

Sakura turned to him and smiled softly. He was one of the little boys that had played with Kattan. It felt so long ago, but he seemed to recognize her.

"Negi-kun!" a woman in a vivid green rain cloak came running over to them, her eyes turned upward in relief, "Don't you wander off like that!"

She scooped the giggling boy up into her arms and gave Sakura a polite smile, "I'm sorry if he was bothering you."

Sakura shook her head, "Oh, no, he wasn't."

As the woman swept back into the small crowd, the boy reached out past his mother's shoulder with his chubby palm spread wide, "See ya, Akatsuki-chan!"

Sakura couldn't help but wave back, a huge grin plastered on her face, "…See ya."

The rushing water was beginning to calm as Sakura slowly got to her feet. She dusted off her cloak, and wove her way past citizens and Shinobi on her way back to the tower.

At the entrance, Konan was waiting for her. Sakura realized that she had ran out of the tower with no certain way of getting back in, but the leader must have realized as much and stationed Konan outside to let her in, and probably retrieve her response as well.

"Konan-san," Sakura greeted.

The blue haired woman held out her cupped hand. Sakura reached out in curiosity, and Konan dropped a tiny paper crane into her palm.

"You can probably guess what my advice would be," Konan took out another piece of paper and began folding.

"I can," Sakura nodded and watched Konan's delicate fingers dance across the paper.

"And?"

"And… that's my choice."

Konan smiled gently, and handed Sakura the finished lily flower, "This one is for Itachi-san."

Sakura cradled the flower against her chest as Konan opened the door and led her back inside.

"Sakura-chan!" Dani ran over to her from her spot at the table. Deidara and Kisame looked up as she entered and Sakura could tell they had been talking about her. Deidara's mouth was set in a stiff line, and Kisame poked at his sake dish absentmindedly, but they both stayed silent.

"Sakura-chan," Dani grasped Sakura's hand, "What are you…?"

"I need to go pack," Sakura whispered. Dani's eyes suddenly bled into black and she stared right into Sakura's passive green eyes. With a shaky sigh, she released Sakura's hand, and hers fell to her sides.

Sakura turned and walked slowly up the stairs, the lily flower still cradled in one hand. The door to the bedroom was locked, but Sakura gave the knob one solid twist, breaking the mechanism with a loud metallic snap.

Itachi was still sitting on the bed, meditating for all appearances. Sakura sat the paper lily on the desk next to his cold tea. He didn't look up or speak as Sakura began to gather her things.

"I'm leaving," her voice sounded dull and flat in the humid air, but stronger than she had expected. She was resolute now, after all.

Itachi finally looked up, and his eyes were their usual hollow and impassive. Sakura didn't mind. She was used to loving people who didn't love her back. It would be alright.

She shouldered her bags, and set her straw hat on her head.

"I'm going," she paused at the door and turned to face a still unresponsive Itachi, "To get my ring."

She crossed the threshold in one swift motion. Itachi watched her go without so much as a struggle.

* * *

A/N: And Soutou is officially complete! Some questions answered, but then replaced by new ones. The story is far from over, in any case. I read a bunch of books on fiction writing style, I think it shows a little in this chapter. More happens, but it's more concise and clear. I like it, but do you like my new style?

I think I might work on Hesitation (I'm going to re write it and simpify the plot a little) before I delve too deeply into part three. I think I'm going to add a section before Kibou, not sure exactly what I'm going to call it yet. As usual, I'll add a new chapter here when the new story is posted, so you can just watch this story if you like.

Hope you liked it, and let me know what you think! Also, suggestions for part three will be appreciated, since it will be more loosely structured than the previous two, once the first three chapters or so are done. Thanks for all of the feedback and reviews for all of Soutou! Even criticism keeps me writing!


End file.
